Catalytic Approaches to the Halogen Dance Reaction for Molecular Editing

Transposition reactions, i.e., switching the position of functional groups, are a powerful tool for molecular editing. The transposition of a halogen atom attached to an aromatic ring, referred to as the halogen dance reaction, has great potential in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, natural products, and functional materials. However, the substrate scope of this reaction is limited owing to the intrinsic difficulty in facilitating multiple catalytic cycles involving several aryllithium species. In this concept paper, recent advances in halogen dance catalysis that have expanded the substrate scope of this reaction are highlighted.