Recent Advances in Halogen Bond-assisted Organic Synthesis

Halogen bond interactions, which take place between an electrophilic halogen and the electron-pair of a Lewis base and exhibit high directionality (approximately 180 degrees), are non-covalent bond interactions similar to the hydrogen bond interaction. Many reports on halogen bond interactions have been published thus far, but many of them discuss halogen bond in the context of crystal engineering of supramolecular architecture. Since a seminal report by Holm in 2008, halogen bond-assisted or -promoted organic synthesis has received significant attention. This review aims to introduce the molecular design of suitable halogen bond donors and organic transformations involving halogen bond interactions to afford a variety of organic compounds.