Phenols are an integral part of numerous pharmaceuticals, polymers, and natural products.[1] In the past the nonoxidative preparation of this class of compounds involved nucleophilic aromatic substitution of activated aryl halides, often under harsh reaction conditions.[2] Smith, Maleczka, and co-workers reported the preparation of non-ortho- substituted phenols under milder conditions.[3] However, two steps, CH-activation/ ...