Hypervalent iodine mediated para-selective fluorination of anilides.

A metal-free method for the direct regioselective fluorination of anilides has been developed. In the presence of bis(tert-butylcarbonyloxy)iodobenzene (PhI(OPiv)(2)) and hydrogen fluoride-pyridine, the para-fluorination products of anilides were obtained in moderate to good yields. Because of its operational safety and the use of readily available reagents, this new procedure provides facile access to a variety of para-fluorinated anilides.