[Babcock_Hall]

Does anyone have an example of this off the top of their heads?  I need it for pedagogical purposes, not for a particular synthetic problem. I thought I had seen an example, possibly in March's book, but I am coming up empty right now, and I do not recall the details.

I found one example on-line (which comes from Clayden's textbook) in which a catalytic amount of lithium iodide sped up the production of a phosphonium salt from benzyl bromide and PPh₃ in refluxing xylene. This will probably suffice for my purposes, but other examples that anyone has on hand would also be welcome.

[rolnor]

Alkylation with alkyl chlorides and bromides are catalyzed generally by iodide.
I think also conversion of benzoic esters to benzoyl amides by amines are catalyzed by iodide. This reaction is also catalyzed by cyanide ion.

[wildfyr]

Ring opening of epoxides can be catalyzed with some iodide salts.

[rolnor]

(Edit) I think it should be alkyl esters, not benzoic esters.