1,4-Diiodo-1,3-dienes: versatile reagents in organic synthesis

1,4-Diiodo-1,3-dienes are unique reagents in organic synthesis and have been employed in several well-known and recently developed areas of application. Furthermore, these dienes are easily accessible, starting from the alkynes and iodine, and they have demonstrated high reactivity in cross-coupling reactions, organometallic synthesis, in the preparation of heterocyclic compounds, and several other transformations. The high reactivity of the 1,4-diiodo-1,3-dienes allows for the development of synthetic procedures that use mild conditions (room temperature). The key advantages in assembling complex organic molecules, natural products, and compounds for material science using 1,4-diiodo-1,3-dienes as building blocks include high yields, excellent selectivity, and diverse reactivity in carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond formation. This Focus Review describes the scope and application of the 1,4-diiodo-1,3-dienes in organic synthesis as well as summarizes the methods for preparation of the dienes.