Iodonium ylides in organic synthesis

This review summarizes the chemistry of iodonium ylides with emphasis on their synthetic applications. The preparation, structure and chemistry of iodonium ylides of different structural types are overviewed. Iodonium ylides have found synthetic application as efficient carbene precursors, especially useful as reagents for cyclopropanation of alkenes and preparation of heterocyclic compounds. Recently iodonium ylides have been utilized as efficient reagents in the thiotrifluoromethylation and nucleophilic fluorination reactions.