Isolation and structural characterisation of rhodium(III) eta(2)-fluoroarene complexes: experimental verification of predicted regioselectivity

The isolation and solid-state characterisation of complexes featuring partially coordinated benzene, fluorobenzene and all three isomers of difluorobenzene are described. Supported by a DFT analysis, this well-defined homologous series demonstrates the preference for eta(2)-coordination of fluoroarenes via the HC=CH sites adjacent to a fluorine substituent.