Abstract The fluorinated m-didehydrobenzenes 5-H-, 5-deuterio-, 5-(trifluoromethyl)-, 5- (trimethylsilyl)-, and 5-iodo-2, 4, 6-trifluoro-1, 3-didehydrobenzene 6b− 6f were generated by UV photolysis of the corresponding 1, 3-diiodobenzene derivatives 4b− 4f in solid neon at 3 K. The photolysis of 1 proceeds stepwise via the phenyl radical intermediates 5b− 5f. The radicals 5 and m-benzynes 6 were identified by comparison of their experimentally ...
