"Organic molecules of all shapes and sizes are required for a multitude of applications eg. in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical industries. Organic synthesis allows an insight into the way in which bonds between atoms can be formed or broken and how molecules can react with each other. Chemists are still faced with the challenge of converting simple, readily available molecules intocomplex structures as rapid, efficient, and cost-effective as possible. Therefore an increase in the efficiency of synthesis will provide enormous benefits to society, quality of life, and a sustainable future.In this context, the use of catalysis to promote chemical reactions will play a vital role. In this research proposal we outline the special properties of iodine-containing molecules. The properties of these compounds are wide spread and we will develop reactions using only catalytic amounts of these reagents. This means that one catalyst molecule will have the potential to create thousands of new molecules with special properties. The addition of small quantities of a catalyst to open up, accelerate, and fully control the outcome of complex chemical processes offers unparalleled opportunities for increasing the efficiency of organic synthesis. The development of these newiodine-containing catalysts and their application in various reactions such as the synthesis of diamines and aminoalcohols in cyclization reactions form the main part of this proposal.We hope to be able to establish concepts that can be also applied in different contexts than initially anticipated and provide positive contributions to organic synthesis and society."