Vinylbenziodoxol(on)es: Synthetic Methods and Applications

Cyclic hypervalent iodine reagents are now frequently used in synthetic organic chemistry, either as oxidants or group-transfer reagents. Vinylbenziodoxol(on)es (VBXs) bearing alkene substituents have been less investigated than the corresponding trifluoromethyl or alkynyl reagents. Nevertheless, since 2016 the development of new synthetic methods to access VBXs has awakened the interest of the synthetic community, leading to new transformations highlighting their unique reactivity as electrophilic alkene synthons. In this review, an overview of the synthesis and applications of VBX reagents will be presented. The review is organized according to the two main classes of VBX reagents reported so far – simple alkyl/aryl-substituted VBXs and heteroatom (S, O, N, X)-substituted VBXs – as they differ significantly from the point of view of synthetic access.     

Reactivity of Hypervalent Iodine(III) Reagents Bearing Transferable N-Based Groups

Hypervalent iodine reagents have the ability of inverting the polarity of functional groups bound to iodine, a reactivity known as umpolung. This reactivity makes hypervalent iodine compounds highly attractive for the creation of electrophilic synthons of known nucleophiles, resulting in novel synthetic disconnections and the formation of new Nu(nucleophile)−N bond. Electrophilic sources of nitrogen-based groups have been known for many decades and are of great synthetic importance. Traditionally, these reagents are limited to few examples. With the use of hypervalent iodine, the transfer of a wide diversity of nitrogen sources became a possibility. This review compiles the latest reported examples of hypervalent iodine reagents capable of electrophilic transfer of nitrogen-based groups. It showcases the preparation of such reagents, their synthetic utility, and reaction mechanisms involving these group transfer reagents.     

X-Ray and NMR Structural Data of Ethynylbenziodoxolones (EBXs) Reagents and Their Analogues

First synthesized in 1991, EthynylBenziodoXolones (EBXs) – cyclic hypervalent iodine reagents derived from 2-iodobenzoic acid – are now among the most versatile electrophilic alkynylation reagents. Due to their cyclic structure, these reagents exhibit enhanced stability compared to previously used alkynyl iodonium salts. Over the last decade, both the iodoheterocycle and the arene ring have been extensively modified to fine-tune the reactivity of the reagents, resulting in new analogues such as Ethynylbenziodoxoles (EBxs) or N-heterocyclic reagents. In this article, we have for the first time compiled the structural data available for EBXs and their analogues, focusing especially on X-Ray and NMR data. For selected compounds, molecular electrostatic potentials (MEP) have also been calculated. When considering the tight relationship between structure and reactivity in hypervalent iodine reagents, the collected data is expected to be highly useful for further developments in the field.     

Expanding the Scope of Hypervalent Iodine Reagents for Perfluoroalkylation: From Trifluoromethyl to Functionalized Perfluoroethyl

A series of new hypervalent iodine reagents based on the 1,3‐dihydro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐1,2‐benziodoxole and 1,2‐benziodoxol‐3‐(1H)‐one scaffolds, which contain a functionalized tetrafluoroethyl group, have been prepared, characterized, and used in synthetic applications. Their corresponding electrophilic fluoroalkylation reactions with various sulfur, oxygen, phosphorus, and carbon‐centered nucleophiles afford products that feature a tetrafluoroethylene unit, which connects two functional moieties. A related λ³‐iodane that contains a fluorophore was shown to react with a cysteine derivative under mild conditions to give a thiol‐tagged product that is stable in the presence of excess thiol. Therefore, these new reagents show a significant potential for applications in chemical biology as tools for fast, irreversible, and selective thiol bioconjugation.     

Hypervalent Iodine‐Catalyzed Oxidative Functionalizations Including Stereoselective Reactions

Hypervalent iodine chemistry is now a well‐established area of organic chemistry. Novel hypervalent iodine reagents have been introduced in many different transformations owing to their mild reaction conditions and environmentally friendly nature. Recently, these reagents have received particular attention because of their applications in catalysis. Numerous hypervalent iodine‐catalyzed oxidative functionalizations such as oxidations of various alcohols and phenols, α‐functionalizations of carbonyl compounds, cyclizations, and rearrangements have been developed successfully. In these catalytic reactions stoichiometric oxidants such as mCPBA or oxone play a crucial role to generate the iodine(III) or iodine(V) species in situ. In this Focus Review, recent developments of hypervalent iodine‐catalyzed reactions are described including some asymmetric variants. Catalytic reactions using recyclable hypervalent iodine catalysts are also covered.     

Structure and Reactivity of N-Heterocyclic Alkynyl Hypervalent Iodine Reagents

Ethynylbenziodoxol(on)e (EBX) cyclic hypervalent iodine reagents have become popular reagents for the alkynylation of radicals and nucleophiles, but only offer limited possibilities for further structure and reactivity fine-tuning. Herein, the synthesis of new N-heterocyclic hypervalent iodine reagents with increased structural flexibility based on amide, amidine and sulfoximine scaffolds is reported. Solid-state structures of the reagents are reported and the analysis of the I−C_alkyne bond lengths allowed assessing the trans-effect of the different substituents. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) maps of the reagents, derived from DFT computations, revealed less pronounced σ-hole regions for sulfonamide-based compounds. Most reagents reacted well in the alkynylation of β-ketoesters. The alkynylation of thiols afforded more variable yields, with compounds with a stronger σ-hole reacting better. In metal-mediated transformations, the N-heterocyclic hypervalent iodine reagents gave inferior results when compared to the O-based EBX reagents.     

Cyclic Hypervalent Iodine Reagents for Atom‐Transfer Reactions: Beyond Trifluoromethylation

Hypervalent iodine compounds are privileged reagents in organic synthesis because of their exceptional reactivity. Among these compounds, cyclic derivatives stand apart because of their enhanced stability. They have been widely used as oxidants, but their potential for functional‐group transfer has only begun to be investigated recently. The use of benziodoxol(on)es for trifluoromethylation (Togni's reagents) is already widely recognized, but other transformations have also attracted strong interest recently. In this Review, the development in the area since 2011 will be presented. After a short summary of synthetic methods to prepare benziodoxol(on)e reagents, their use to construct carbon–heteroatom and carbon–carbon bonds will be presented. In particular, the introduction of alkynes by using ethynylbenziodoxol(on)e (EBX) reagents has been highly successful. Breakthroughs in the introduction of alkoxy, azido, difluoromethyl, and cyano groups will also be described.     

Indole Synthesis through Sequential Electrophilic N−H and C−H Bond Activation Using Iodine(III) Reactivity

An intramolecular approach towards the regioselective construction of 2,3‐diarylated indoles is reported. The reaction follows an intramolecular electrophilic N?H and C?H bond functionalization between the aniline and acetylene. This methodology employs the concept of a traceless tether to provide access to the free 2,3‐diarylated indole products comprising a total of 18 examples. Hypervalent iodine reagents were identified as suitable promoters and four different protocols are provided, including stoichiometric and catalytic transformations.     

Structural Reevaluation of the Electrophilic Hypervalent Iodine Reagent for Trifluoromethylthiolation Supported by the Crystalline Sponge Method for X‐ray Analysis

Hypervalent iodine λ³‐benziodoxoles are common electrophilic transfer reagents known for their enhanced stability compared to their non‐cyclic analogues. Herein we present data showing that chlorobenziodoxole reacts with two different thiolate nucleophiles (thiocyanate and trifluoromethylthiolate), resulting in the formation of stable thioperoxy complexes rather than the expected benziodoxole derivatives. We further report a revised structure for the earlier described electrophilic trifluoromethylthiolation reagent ( 1 ), which was previously believed to contain the benziodoxole framework. Our findings, which are based on a combination of analytical techniques, including the recently introduced crystalline sponge method for X‐ray analysis, unambiguously demonstrate that 1 is a thioperoxy compound both in solution and the solid state.     

Inhibition of Thiol-Mediated Uptake with Irreversible Covalent Inhibitors

Thiol-mediated uptake is emerging as method of choice to penetrate cells. This study focuses on irreversible covalent inhibitors of thiol-mediated uptake. High-content high-throughput screening of the so far largest collection of hypervalent iodine reagents affords inhibitors that are more than 250 times more active than Ellman’s reagent and rival the best dynamic covalent inhibitors. Comparison with other irreversible reagents reveals that inhibition within one series follows reactivity, whereas inhibition across series deviates from reactivity. These trends support that molecular recognition, besides dynamic covalent exchange, contributes significantly to thiol-mediated uptake. The most powerful inhibitors besides the best hypervalent iodine reagents were Fukuyama’s nosyl protecting group and super-cinnamaldehydes that have been introduced as irreversible activators of the pain receptor TRPA1. Considering that several viruses use different forms of thiol-mediated uptake to enter cells, the identification of new irreversible inhibitors of thiol-mediated uptake is of general interest for the discovery of new antivirals.     

Vicinal Difunctionalization of Alkenes with Iodine(III) Reagents and Catalysts

Hypervalent iodine(III) reagents have been known for over a century, and their reaction profile is still actively investigated. Recent years have seen impressive improvements in the area of alkene difunctionalization reactions, where new methodologies have become available. Especially chiral non‐racemic hypervalent iodine(III) reagents and catalysts have emerged as versatile tools for the realization of important enantioselective transformations.     

Electrochemistry and Reactivity of Chelation-stabilized Hypervalent Bromine(III) Compounds

Hypervalent bromine(III) reagents possess a higher electrophilicity and a stronger oxidizing power compared to their iodine(III) counterparts. Despite the superior reactivity, bromine(III) reagents have a reputation of hard-to-control and difficult-to-synthesize compounds. This is partly due to their low stability, and partly because their synthesis typically relies on the use of the toxic and highly reactive BrF₃ as a precursor. Recently, we proposed chelation-stabilized hypervalent bromine(III) compounds as a possible solution to both problems. First, they can be conveniently prepared by electro-oxidation of the corresponding bromoarenes. Second, the chelation endows bromine(III) species with increased stability while retaining sufficient reactivity, comparable to that of iodine(III) counterparts. Finally, their intrinsic reactivity can be unlocked in the presence of acids. Herein, an in-depth mechanistic study of both the electrochemical generation and the reactivity of the bromine(III) compounds is disclosed, with implications for known applications and future developments in the field.     

Hypervalent‐Iodine(III)‐Mediated Oxidative Methodology for the Synthesis of Fused Triazoles

The organic chemistry of hypervalent organoiodine compounds has been an area of unprecedented development. This surge in interest in the use of hypervalent iodine compounds has mainly been owing to their highly selective oxidizing properties, environmentally benign character and commercial availability. Hypervalent iodine reagents have also been used as an alternative to toxic heavy metals, owing to their low toxicity and ease of handling. Hypervalent organoiodine(III) reagents are versatile oxidants that have been successfully employed to extend the scope of selective oxidative transformations of complex organic molecules in synthetic chemistry. This Focus Review concerns the tandem in situ generation and 1,5‐electrocyclization of N‐heteroaryl nitrilimines into fused triazoles. We describe the importance of recently developed hypervalent‐organoiodine(III)‐catalyzed oxidative cyclization reactions, building towards the conclusion that hypervalent iodine chemistry is a promising frontier for oxidative cyclization, in particular of hydrazones, for the synthesis of fused triazoles.     

The Power of Iodane‐Guided C−H Coupling: A Group‐Transfer Strategy in Which a Halogen Works for Its Money

Hypervalent organoiodane reagents are ubiquitous in organic synthesis, both as oxidants and as electrophilic group‐transfer agents. In addition to these hallmark applications, a complementary strategy is gaining momentum that exploits the ability of λ³‐iodanes to undergo iodine‐to‐arene group transfer, for example, via iodonio‐Claisen‐type rearrangement processes. This Minireview discusses recent advances in the use of this method to access a variety of the C?H‐functionalized iodoarenes. While Section 2 is focused on the ortho C?H propargylation, allylation, and the more unusual para C?H benzylation, Section 3 is devoted to the C‐arylation of enol and phenol substrates. The accompanying discussion includes mechanistic considerations and goes into the synthetic applications of the final iodoarene cores. The Minireview concludes with further conceptual extensions of the method, including the use of non‐conventional coupling partners (for example, cyanoalkylation), improved access to λ³‐iodane building blocks, and the development of iterative approaches to polysubstituted iodoarenes.     

Strategies to Control Hypervalent Iodine – Primary Amine Reactions

The field of hypervalent iodine chemistry has been prevalent since 1886. Its journey from obscurity to coming into the limelight has witnessed many effective transformations which have benefited the synthetic community at large. The reactivity of primary amines with hypervalent iodine reagents causes difficulty in synthetic outcome or not feasible due to high exothermicity of amine iodine which is an acid base reaction. This minireview highlights the worthwhile reactivity of hypervalent iodine reagents with aromatic and aliphatic primary amines. Some recent literature has been discussed to make a clear understanding on how such high reactivity of primary amine is controlled by introducing modulation in either substrate or reaction conditions, most of which are carried out under ambient reaction conditions.     

Continuous‐Flow Electrochemical Generator of Hypervalent Iodine Reagents: Synthetic Applications

An efficient and reliable electrochemical generator of hypervalent iodine reagents has been developed. In the anodic oxidation of iodoarenes to hypervalent iodine reagents under flow conditions, the use of electricity replaces hazardous and costly chemical oxidants. Unstable hypervalent iodine reagents can be prepared easily and coupled with different substrates to achieve oxidative transformations in high yields. The unstable, electrochemically generated reagents can also easily be transformed into classic bench‐stable hypervalent iodine reagents through ligand exchange. The combination of electrochemical and flow‐chemistry advantages largely improves the ecological footprint of the overall process compared to conventional approaches.     

Chiral Hypervalent Iodine Reagents: Synthesis and Reactivity

Chiral hypervalent iodine chemistry has been steadily increasing in importance in recent years. This review catalogues enantioselective transformations triggered by chiral hypervalent iodine(III/V) reagents, in stoichiometric or catalytic quantities, highlighting the different reactivities in terms of yield and enantioselectivity. Moreover, the synthesis of the most remarkable and successful catalysts has been illustrated in detail.     

The Multiple Facets of Iodine(III) Compounds in an Unprecedented Catalytic Auto‐amination for Chiral Amine Synthesis

Iodine(III) reagents are used in catalytic one‐pot reactions, first as both oxidants and substrates, then as cross‐coupling partners, to afford chiral polyfunctionalized amines. The strategy relies on an initial catalytic auto C(sp³)?H amination of the iodine(III) oxidant, which delivers an amine‐derived iodine(I) product that is subsequently used in palladium‐catalyzed cross‐couplings to afford a variety of useful building blocks with high yields and excellent stereoselectivities. This study demonstrates the concept of self‐amination of the hypervalent iodine reagents, which increases the value of the aryl moiety.     

Novel 10-I-3 hypervalent iodine-based compounds for electrophilic trifluoromethylation

The synthesis of a new family of 10-I-3 hypervalent iodine compounds is described in which the CF3 functionality participates directly in the hypervalent bond. These materials are accessible by nucleophilic ligand substitution at iodine using Me3SiCF3 in the presence of a substoichiometric amount of fluoride. The expected T-shaped geometry at iodine was verified by X-ray crystallographic analyses of three of the products (1-trifluoromethyl-1,2-benziodoxol-3-(1 H)-one and two substituted 1-trifluoromethyl-1,3-dihydro-1,2-benziodoxoles). Preliminary results for the direct electrophilic transfer of the trifluoromethyl moiety onto organic nucleophiles show modest reactivity in polar aprotic solvents under relatively mild conditions. The overall process can be understood as a formal umpolung of the CF3 group.     

有机合成中的高价碘应用

高价碘化物作为一种性能温和、选择性强及环境友好的氧化试剂在有机合成中得到了广泛的应用。近年来,各种不同结构的高价碘试剂和各种新的反应及应用大量涌现出来,使它们的应用领域从传统的醇类氧化扩展到一些结构复杂化合物的合成领域当中。本文以最常用和研究较多的几个高价碘化合物为例,对它们用于有机合成反应,如氧化、加成、取代和重排的最新进展进行了概述,对本研究小组重点研究的五价碘化合物邻羟基苯碘酰与酮类化合物的取代反应和烯烃化合物的加成反应也作了介绍。