Mechanisms in Iodine Catalysis

Molecular iodine has been used for more than 100 years as a remarkable catalyst for many organic transformations such as cycloadditions, Michael and aldol reactions, or esterifications. Different explanations for the origin of its catalytic effect have been proposed in the last decades including a hidden BrOnsted acid catalysis by HI, a Lewis-acid (or halogen-bond) activation, or catalysis by an iodonium(I) species. Recently, iodine catalysis again gained more interest due to the latest developments in halogen-bond catalysis. In this Minireview, we first summarize the experimental basis for the proposed modes of activation. Subsequently, we analyze typical iodine-catalyzed reactions to gain more insights into the underlying reaction mechanisms.