Synlett 2008(5): 782-783  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1032173
SPOTLIGHT
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

(Dichloroiodo)benzene (PhICl2)

Zhou Wu*
School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. of China
e-Mail: zwu@tju.edu.cn;
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
26 February 2008 (online)

Introduction

(Dichloroiodo)benzene (PhICl2) was first prepared in 1886; its chemistry then became an intensely studied topic because of its wide application as an effective chlorinating or oxidizing agent in various organic reactions. [1] As a chlorinating agent, (dichloroiodo)benzene can be applied not only to the addition of chlorine to alkenes, but also to the chlorination with other substrates, such as alkanes, ethers, esters, thioethers, ketones, sulfoxides, steroids, etc., with moderate to high yields. [1] [2] (Dichloroiodo)benzene can oxidize aldoximes and ketoximes to nitrile oxides [3] and ketones, [4] respectively in good yields. In this spotlight, recent applications using PhICl2 in organic syntheses are summarized.