Tetraphenylphosphonium bromide was found to be a suitable catalyst for the reaction of m-nitroaryl derivatives carrying cyano, nitro, chlorocarbonyl, trifluoromethyl, and chlorosulfonyl groups with potassium fluoride in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of phthaloyl dichloride, giving the corresponding m-fluoro aromatic derivatives in good yields. The catalyst was also found to be efficient for the fluorodesulfonylation of m-(fluorosulfonyl)aryl derivatives to afford m-fluoro arenes by the use of a reaction-distillation technique.

Meta-fluoroaromatic compounds were effectively synthesized from m-nitroaromatic or m-fluorosulfonylaromatic compounds by replacement reaction with potassium fluoride in the presence of a catalytic amount of tetraphenylphosphonium bromide.

Activated nitro groups in aromatic systems are substituted with potassium fluoride in the presence of phthaloyl chloride and tetraphenylphosphonium bromide to give the corresponding fluorides, e.g. (II) or (IV).

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Title compounds such as (II), (IV) and (VI) are prepared in order to test their biological properties.