Oxyhalogenation of Activated Arenes with Nanocrystalline Ceria

Arenes can be chlorinated, brominated, and iodinated in the presence of CeO2 nanoparticles under aerobic conditions. In a biomimetic approach, active electrophilic halogen species are generated from either organic or inorganic halogen compounds and are trapped by arenes. This C–H transformation can be applied to the synthesis of naturally occurring products.