Application of green Lewis acid catalyst-indium trihalide in organic synthesis

Indium trihalide is a mild green catalyst for organic synthesis in a highly chemo-, regio-, and stero-selectively fashion in green solvent such as aqueous and alcoholic media. In this paper, some applications of indium trihalide in organic synthesis are reviewed including aldol reaction, Friedel-Crafts reaction, the rearrangement of epoxides, the synthesis of alpha-aminophosphonates, the synthesis of quinolines, the transestenification, the hetero Diels-Alder reaction, the synthesis of chiral furan diols, the azidolysis in aqueous media and the dithioacetalization. At the same time, our works on the application of indium trihalide in Biginelli reaction and reductive deoxygenation reaction area are also dicussed. The potential superiority of indium trihalide in organic synthesis will promote the development of "Green Chemistry".