Exposure of 1-alkenyl (phenyl)-and 1-alkynyl (phenyl)-λ3-iodanes to THF at room temperature in the presence of a catalytic amount of trialkylborane results in smooth reduction to give 1-iodo-1-alkenes and 1-iodo-1-alkynes as major products, respectively. The key step in the reductions probably involves a single-electron transfer from α- tetrahydrofuryl radical to the λ3-iodanes, which generates the labile [9-I-2] iodanyl radicals.
