Iodonium ylides can undergo cyclization with a simple tertiary arylamine to afford N-heterocyclic products in a transition-metal-free approach in the absence of an additional initiator/oxidant. The inherent reactivity uncovered in this transformation is fundamentally different from known chemical properties of iodonium ylide compounds, thus providing a new opportunity for the further exploration of iodonium ylide-based chemical transformations. This Synpacts article describes the historical background of iodonium ylide chemistry and highlights recent progress disclosed by our work.
Key words
iodonium ylide - tertiary arylamine - cyclization -
N-heterocycle - electron transfer