The selective displacement of a variety of aryl fluorides with hydroquinone has been achieved to give substituted 4-phenoxyphenols. In some cases the addition of 18-crown-6 resulted in a significant rate enhancement, and the reactions could be carried out at lower temperature. One of these derivatives,(X= Cl) was converted to 2-propyl-4-(4- chlorophenoxy) phenol, a precursor to the PPARγ receptor agonist.
