Disulfide-Catalyzed Iodination of Electron-Rich Aromatic Compounds.

Herein, a disulfide-catalyzed electrophilic iodination of aromatic compounds using 1,3-diiodo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DIH) has been developed. The disulfide activates DIH as a Lewis base to promote the iodination reaction in acetonitrile under mild conditions. This system is applicable to a wide range of electron-rich aromatic compounds, including acetanilide, anisole, imidazole, and pyrazole derivatives.