Hypervalent iodine chemistry in synthesis: scope and new directions.

The impressive development of hypervalent iodine chemistry in recent years is reflected by the number of publications in this area. Although the synthesis of the first hypervalent iodine compound dates back more than 100 years, the investigation of the reactivities of these compounds and their efficient use as metal-free reagents in organic synthesis is still ongoing. This contribution summarizes recent achievements and highlights key findings and developments that will influence future research and lead to novel applications of hypervalent iodine reagents in synthesis.