The chemical reactivity and reaction mechanism of fluorobenzene formation by dehydrogenation of fluorocyclohexenes was investigated. 1-Fluorocyclohexene reacted with oxidants such as nitrobenzene and oxygen to give fluorobenzene in good yields under moderate conditions in the presence of a Pd catalyst. A detailed comparison of oxidative dehydrogenation with non-oxidative dehydrogenation proved that the oxidants effectively suppressed isomerization and disproportionation, and offered a selective synthesis of fluorobenzene. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.