Isolation and structural characterisation of rhodium(iii) η-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 η-coordination of fluoroarenes via the HC[double bond, length as m-dash]CH sites adjacent to a fluorine substituent.