The recent groundbreaking developments in the application of diaryliodonium salts in cross-coupling reactions has brought this class of previously underdeveloped reagents to the forefront of organic chemistry. With the advent of novel, facile, and efficient synthetic routes to these compounds, many more applications can be foreseen. Herein we provide an overview of the historical and recent advances in the synthesis and applications of diaryliodonium salts.

Iodine was discovered as a novel element in 1811 during the Napoleonic Wars. To celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of this event we reflect on the history and highlight the many facets of iodine research that have evolved since its discovery. Iodine has an impact on many aspects of life on Earth as well as on human civilization. It is accumulated in high concentrations by marine algae, which are the origin of strong iodine fluxes into the coastal atmosphere which influence climatic processes, and dissolved iodine is considered a biophilic element in marine sediments. Iodine is central to thyroid function in vertebrates, with paramount implications for human health. Iodine can exist in a wide range of oxidation states and it features a diverse supramolecular chemistry. Iodine is amenable to several analytical techniques, and iodine compounds have found widespread use in organic synthesis. Elemental iodine is produced on an industrial scale and has found a wide range of applications in innovative materials, including semiconductors--in particular, in solar cells.

Symmetrical and unsymmetrical diaryliodonium triflates have been synthesized from both electron-deficient and electron-rich arenes and aryl iodides with mCPBA and triflic acid. A thorough investigation of the optimization, scope and limitations has resulted in an improved one-pot protocol that is fast, high-yielding, and operationally simple. The reaction has been extended to the direct synthesis of symmetrical iodonium salts from iodine and arenes, conveniently circumventing the need for aryl iodides.

Phenols, anilines, and malonates have been arylated under metal-free conditions with twelve aryl(phenyl)iodonium salts in a systematic chemoselectivity study. A new “anti-ortho effect” has been identified in the arylation of malonates. Several “dummy groups” have been found that give complete chemoselectivity in the transfer of the phenyl moiety, irrespective of the nucleophile. An aryl exchange in the diaryliodonium salts has been observed under certain arylation conditions. DFT calculations have been performed to investigate the reaction mechanism and to elucidate the origins of the observed selectivities. These results are expected to facilitate the design of chiral diaryliodonium salts and the development of catalytic arylation reactions that are based on these sustainable and metal-free reagents.

Diaryliodonium salts have recently received considerable attention as mild arylation reagents in organic synthesis. This paper describes a regiospecific, sequential one-pot synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical diaryliodonium tetrafluoroborates, which are the most popular salts in metal-catalyzed arylations. The protocol is fast and high-yielding and has a large substrate scope. Furthermore, the corresponding diaryliodonium triflates can conveniently be obtained via an in situ anion exchange.

The arylation of secondary acyclic amides has been achieved with diaryliodonium salts under mild and metal-free conditions. The methodology has a wide scope, allows synthesis of tertiary amides with highly congested aryl moieties and avoids the regioselectivity problems observed in reactions with (diacetoxyiodo)benzene.

Clinical and experimental data indicate that hyaluronan accumulates in breast cancer compared with normal breast epithelium, which correlates to poor prognosis. In this review, we discuss the expression of genes encoding enzymes that synthesize or degrade hyaluronan, i.e. hyaluronan synthases and hyaluronidases or bind hyaluronan, i.e. CD44 and receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM, also designated as HMMR or CD168), in relation to breast cancer progression. Hyaluronan and hyaluronan receptors have multi-faceted roles in signalling events in breast cancer. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these signalling pathways is highly warranted and may lead to improvement of cancer treatment.

Diaryl ethers are common structural features in numerous natural products and biologically active compounds. Despite more than a century of immense focus on finding efficient synthetic routes to this compound class, diaryl ethers remain difficult to obtain. Routes that are catalytic in copper have been developed, but high catalyst loadings, excess reagents, elevated temperatures and long reaction times are still needed. Pd-catalyzed cross-couplings of phenols and aryl halides at temperatures up to 100 °C have recently been reported to give high yields of diaryl ethers. Diaryliodonium salts are non-toxic alternatives to transition metals in the synthesis of diaryl ethers and we have recently developed effective synthetic routes to these salts.Herein we report a fast, high-yielding synthesis of diaryl ethers. The reaction conditions are mild, metal-free, and avoid the use of halogenated solvents, additives, or excess reagents. Precautions to avoid air or moisture are not needed. The scope includes ortho-and halo-substituted diaryl ethers, which are difficult to obtain by metal-catalyzed protocols . Monday,