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Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Synthesis and Purification of Iodoaziridines Involving Quantitative Selection of the Optimal Stationary Phase for Chromatography
Published on: May 16, 2014
NH-Heterocyclic Aryliodonium Salts and their Selective Conversion into N1-Aryl-5-iodoimidazoles
Yichen Wu1, Susana Izquierdo1, Pietro Vidossich2
1Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Av. Països Catalans 16, 43007, Tarragona, Spain.
Abstract:
The synthesis of N-arylimidazoles substituted at the sterically encumbered 5-position is a challenge for modern synthetic approaches. A new family of imidazolyl aryliodonium salts is reported, which serve as a stepping stone on the way to selective formation of N1-aryl-5-iodoimidazoles. Iodine acts as a "universal" placeholder poised for replacement by aryl substituents. These new λ(3) -iodanes are produced by treating the NH-imidazole with ArI(OAc)2 , and are converted to N1-aryl-5-iodoimidazoles by a selective copper-catalyzed aryl migration. The method tolerates a variety of aryl fragments and is also applicable to substituted imidazoles.
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