Scheme 4. (A) Identification of Cyclobutene 2 and Fluorinated Cyclobutane 7 as Intermediates within the Reaction Pathway; (B) Validating Alternative Cyclobutene Precursors; (C) Correlating Hydrolytic Stability with Hammett σ_p⁺ Parameter; (D) Correlating Aryl Group Electronics with Diastereoselectivity; (E) Proposed Reaction Mechanism.

Yields determined by ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR analyses.