Cationic, Iodine(III)-Mediated and Directed Diastereoselective Oxidation of Inert C-H Bonds in Cyclic Hydrocarbons.

Over the past three decades, the functionalization of unactivated C-H bonds has become a workhorse of synthesis. In the field of C-H bond oxygenation, most established methods hinge on single-electron reactivity, encountering challenges pertaining to regio- and/or stereocontrol. Herein, we describe a conceptually distinct strategy relying on the unique features of carbocation chemistry. Our iodine(III)-mediated method achieves the diastereoselective oxygenation of remote C-H bonds at traditionally unreactive sites and enables late-stage functionalization at steroidal frameworks as well as an unusual chirality relay.