Mechanistic Insights into the Interface-Directed Transformation of Thiols into Disulfides and Molecular Hydrogen by Visible-Light Irradiation of Quantum Dots

Oxidative cross S–H/S–H coupling: selective synthesis of unsymmetrical aryl tert-alkyl disulfanes

Selective oxidative coupling between equivalent aryl and tert-alkyl mercaptans was achieved under mild condition. This protocol may provide an efficient process to synthesize the unsymmetrical aryl tert-alkyl disulfides.

Vis/NIR light driven mild and clean synthesis of disulfides in the presence of Cu2(OH)PO4 under aerobic conditions

A highly efficient one-pot strategy has been developed for the synthesis of disulfide in the presence of air under the irradiation of Vis/NIR light.

Autoinductive thiolation/oxygenation of alkenes at room temperature

Spontaneous O₂ fixation by just mixing activated alkenes and thiols at room temperature is rationally demonstrated.

Crystal-bound vs surface-bound thiols on nanocrystals

The use of thiol ligands as a sulfur source for nanocrystal synthesis has recently come en vogue, as the products are often high quality. A comparative study was performed of dodecanethiol-capped Cu2S prepared with elemental sulfur and thiol sulfur reagents. XPS and TGA-MS provide evidence for differing binding modes of the capping thiols. Under conditions where the thiol acts only as a ligand, the capping thiols are "surface-bound" and bond to surface cations in low coordination number sites. In contrast, when thiols are used as a sulfur source, "crystal-bound" thiols result that sit in high coordination sites and are the terminal S layer of the crystal. A (1)H NMR study shows suppressed surface reactivity and ligand exchange with crystal-bound thiols, which could limit further application of the particles. To address the challenge and opportunity of nonlabile ligands, dodecyl-3-mercaptopropanoate, a molecule possessing both a thiol and an ester, was used as the sulfur source for the synthesis of Cu2S and CuInS2. A postsynthetic base hydrolysis cleaves the ester, leaving a carboxylate corona around the nanocrystals and rendering the particles water-soluble.

Oxidant-free dehydrogenative coupling reactions via hydrogen evolution

Oxidant-free dehydrogenative coupling reactions: Recently, coupling reactions have followed a novel strategy for the construction of C==C, C==N, C==P, and S==S bonds by dehydrogenation without using any extra oxidant, via H2 evolution. These breakthroughs inspire a new direction in the construction of chemical bonds, towards more sustainable, highly atom-economical, and environmentally benign synthetic methods.