Green Synthesis of Vicinal Dithioethers and Alkenyl Thioethers from the Reaction of Alkynes and Thiols in Water

Direct synthesis of 1,3-dithiolanes from terminal alkynes via visible light photoredox catalysis

AA visible light-mediated, metal-free, regioselective dihydrothionation of terminal aromatic as well as heteroaromatic alkynes has been achieved by using Eosin Y as a photoredox catalyst at room temperature. The protocol...

NIS-promoted intermolecular bis-sulfenylation of allenamides via a two-step radical process: synthesis of 1,3-dithioethers

The first report of NIS-promoted two-step radical addition of thiols to allenamides to provide an efficient route for accessing 1,3-dithioethers.

Silica: An efficient catalyst for one-pot regioselective synthesis of dithioethers

The development of a silica-promoted highly selective synthesis of 1,2 or 1,3-dithioethers via solvent-free one-pot tandem reactions of an allyl bromide with excess thiol at room temperature is described. The choice of silica gel, either pre-calcined or moistened with water, exhibited notable regioselectivity in the formation of dithioethers. Plausible mechanistic routes were explored and postulated.

Atom-efficient gold(I)-chloride-catalyzed synthesis of α-sulfenylated carbonyl compounds from propargylic alcohols and aryl thiols: substrate scope and experimental and theoretical mechanistic investigation

Gold(I)-chloride-catalyzed synthesis of α-sulfenylated carbonyl compounds from propargylic alcohols and aryl thiols showed a wide substrate scope with respect to both propargylic alcohols and aryl thiols. Primary and secondary aromatic propargylic alcohols generated α-sulfenylated aldehydes and ketones in 60-97% yield. Secondary aliphatic propargylic alcohols generated α-sulfenylated ketones in yields of 47-71%. Different gold sources and ligand effects were studied, and it was shown that gold(I) chloride gave the highest product yields. Experimental and theoretical studies demonstrated that the reaction proceeds in two separate steps. A sulfenylated allylic alcohol, generated by initial regioselective attack of the aryl thiol on the triple bond of the propargylic alcohol, was isolated, evaluated, and found to be an intermediate in the reaction. Deuterium labeling experiments showed that the protons from the propargylic alcohol and aryl thiol were transferred to the 3-position, and that the hydride from the alcohol was transferred to the 2-position of the product. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that the observed regioselectivity of the aryl thiol attack towards the 2-position of propargylic alcohol was determined by a low-energy, five-membered cyclic protodeauration transition state instead of the strained, four-membered cyclic transition state found for attack at the 3-position. Experimental data and DFT calculations supported that the second step of the reaction is initiated by protonation of the double bond of the sulfenylated allylic alcohol with a proton donor coordinated to gold(I) chloride. This in turn allows for a 1,2-hydride shift, generating the final product of the reaction.

Catalytic adaptive recognition of thiol (SH) and selenol (SeH) groups toward synthesis of functionalized vinyl monomers

An unprecedented sustainable procedure was developed to produce functionalized vinyl monomers H(2)C═C(R)(FG) starting from a mixture of sulfur and selenium compounds as a functional group donor (FG = S or Se). The reaction serves as a model for efficient utilization of natural resources of sulfur feedstock in oil and technological sources of sulfur/selenium. The catalytic system is reported with amazing ability to recognize SH/SeH groups in the mixture and selectively incorporate them into valuable organic products via wastes-free atom-economic reaction with alkynes (HC≡CR). Formation of catalyst active site and the mechanism of the catalytic reaction were revealed by joint experimental and theoretical study. The difference in reactivity of μ(1)- and μ(2)-type chalcogen atoms attached to the metal was established and was shown to play the key role in the action of palladium catalyst. An approach to solve a challenging problem of dynamically changed reaction mixture was demonstrated using adaptive tuning of the catalyst. The origins of the adaptive tuning effect were investigated at molecular level and were found to be governed by the nature of metal-chalcogen bond.