A fluorinated masked o-benzoquinone has been prepared by oxidation 4-fluoro-2-methoxyphenol in methanol with phenyliodine diacetate. The fluorinated diene reacts in situ in normal Diels-Alder reactions with various dienophiles. The sequence provides new fluorinated building blocks for the synthesis of a variety of fluorinated compounds. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.