Aromatic fluorination with xenon difluoride: L-3,4-dihydroxy-6-fluoro-phenylalanine

L-3-Methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylalanine was fluorinated directly with XeF 2 in CH 2 Cl 2 at −60 °C invacuo. After hydrolysis with 48% aqueous HBr, L-6-fluorodopa was obtained. The yield, based on XeF 2 , was 25%. This reaction might be applied when chiral biomolecules are to be tagged with fluorine-18.