Pentafluorobenzene is a fluorinated benzene with anesthetic properties. Pentafluorobenzene has been shown to potently and reversibly inhibited human α4β2 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor depe ndent on drug hydrophobicity in Xenopus laevis oocyte. New reaction conditions are described that enable the direct arylation of pentafluorobenzene with sterically encumbered aryl bromides and aryl chlorides. Bis (pentafluoropheny1) methane and tris (pentafluoropheny1) methane were prepared in 77 and 92% yields, respectively, by a Friedel-Crafts reaction of pentafluorobenzene with methylene chloride and chloroform using aluminum chloride as the Lewis acid.
