Recent developments in the synthesis of five- and six-membered heterocycles using molecular iodine.

Heterocyclic scaffolds represent the key structural subunits of many biologically active compounds. Over the last few years iodine-mediated reactions have been extensively studied due to their low cost and eco-friendliness. This Review covers advances in the field of iodine-mediated synthesis of heterocyclic compounds since 2006, especially with an emphasis on mechanisms of ring formation. In this article, syntheses of different heterocycles are classified based on the manipulation of functional groups.