Aromaticity-promoted C-F Bond Activation in Rhodium Complex: A Facile Tautomerization

Fluorine is the most electronegative element in the periodic table. Thus, activation of the carbon-fluorine (C-F) bond, the strongest single bond to carbon, has attracted considerable interest from both experimentalists and theoreticians. In comparison with numerous approaches to activate C-F bonds, the aromaticity-promoted method is less developed. Herein, we demonstrate that the C-F bond activation could be achieved by a facile tautomerization, benefitting from aromaticity, which can stabilize both the transition states and products. Our findings highlight an important application of aromaticity in the C-F bond activation, providing experimentalists with an alternative approach to activate C-F bonds.