The mechanism and selectivity of cycloaddition reactions of iodonitrile oxide, ICNO, have been studied with theoretical methods for the first time using MR-AQCC coupled-cluster and B3LYP DFT methods. Calculations have predicted that the favoured ICNO dimerisation process is a multi-step reaction to diiodofuroxan involving dinitrosoethylene-like intermediates. The ICNO cycloaddition with nitriles and ethynyl derivatives is a synchronous process favouring the formation of 1,2,4-oxadiazole and 1,2-oxazole derivatives, respectively. The cycloaddition reactions of ICNO have been studied experimentally by generating ICNO from AgCNO and iodine. Diiodofuroxan is obtained, however, even at the presence of nitriles. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.