Samarium(II) iodide mediated reductions -: Influence of various additives

Samarium(II) iodide is a one-electron transfer reagent that has become highly appreciated as a mild and selective reducing agent in recent years. It has been found experimentally that various additives and co-solvents largely control the reactivity of SmI2. This microreview provides an overview of the current knowledge of the reagent SmI2 as a reducing agent, in particular with additives that increase its reactivity. The use of various proton sources is covered, as well as the effect of co-solvents. Furthermore, the very powerful reagent mixture SmI2/H2O/amine is also described. (C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004.