Electrophilic ipso substitution of trimethylsilyl groups in fluorobenzenes

Using variants of literature methods 2,4- and 2,6- difluorophenyltrimethylsilanes have been bromodesilylated to the corresponding bromodifluorobenzenes in moderate to good yields, 3-bromo-2,6-difluorophenyltrimethylsilane afforded 1,3-dibromo-2,4-difluorobenzene whilst 1,3-difluoro-2,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzene yielded 3-bromo-2,6-difluorophenyltrimethylsilane. Application of either the Eaborn or Chvalovsky methods of nitrodesilylation to 4-fluorophenyltrimethylsilane, 2,4-difluorophenyltrimethylsilane and 2,6-difluorophenyltrimethylsilane afforded largely the corresponding desilylated products together with products associated with initial protodesilylation, followed by nitration of the resulting fluorobenzenes. The results obtained show that ipso desilylation in the fluoroaromatic series does follow the expected pattern previously obtained in the hydrocarbon analogues. They also show that in some cases the formation of unusually substituted fluoroarenes can be achieved more readily than by the methods previously used.