Hypervalent iodine reagents in organic synthesis: a review of methodology developments and synthetic applications

Hypervalent iodine(iii/v) molecules, as environmentally benign catalysts and reagents, have been pervasively used in modern organic chemistry. Hypervalent iodine reagents are utilized in various organic transformations, such as cyclization and C-H functionalization reactions, thus emerging as a significant source for the synthesis of diverse organic molecules. This review entails the most recent advances in the versatility of hypervalent iodine reagents as important mediators in many oxidative-functionalization reactions reported since 2021. The proposed mechanistic details of hypervalent iodine reagents in catalyzing these reactions, along with the underlying rules that govern the reactivity and selectivity of these reactions, are also elaborated. Moreover, the synthetic and practical utilities of iodine-mediated reactions in synthesizing complex biologically active molecules are discussed.