Hypervalent iodine: a powerful electrophile for asymmetric α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds

Abstract

Environmentally friendly hypervalent iodine reagents are unusually effective promoters of asymmetric α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds. By using hypervalent iodine reagents, various substituents can be introduced into the α-position of carbonyl compounds. In the present review, we briefly survey the asymmetric α-functionalization of carbonyl compound reactions catalyzed by these hypervalent iodine reagents.