I2-catalyzed one-pot oxidative condensation of thiourea, methyl ketones, and aryl thiols into 5-sulfenylated 2-amino-1,3-thiazoles by DMSO

A one-pot, efficient oxidative-condensation process for constructing both 4-alkyl and 4-aryl-5-(arylthio) thiazol-2-amines using DMSO/I2 is introduced. In this procedure, methyl ketones, thiourea, DMSO, and thiols are reacted together in the presence of molecular I2 at 80 °C simply to produce 4-alkyl or aryl-5-(arylthio)thiazol-2-amines due to formation of a C-S bond between thiourea and methyl carbon linked to carbonyl group and the another C-S bond formation between thiol and thiazol ring. Under reaction conditions, both aryl and alkyl methyl ketones including acetophenone and substituted acetophenones also, 2-alkanones such as acetone, 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, and 2-heptanone yield those products successfully.

I2/DMSO-Promoted Synthesis of Diaryl Sulfide- and Selenide-Embedded Arylhydrazones

Functionalization and derivatization of arylhydrazones are important in pharmaceutical, medicinal, material, and coordination chemistry. In this regard, a facile I₂/DMSO-promoted cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) for direct sulfenylation and selenylation of arylhydrazones has been accomplished utilizing arylthiols/arylselenols at 80 °C. This method provides a metal-free benign route for the synthesis of a variety of arylhydrazones embedded with diverse diaryl sulfide and selenide moieties in good to excellent yield. In this reaction, molecular I₂ acts as a catalyst, and DMSO is utilized as a mild oxidant as well as solvent to produce several sulfenyl and selenyl arylhydrazones through a CDC-mediated catalytic cycle.

Visible-light-induced C(sp3)-H thiocyanation of pyrazolin-5-ones: a practical synthesis of 4-thiocyanated 5-hydroxy-1H-pyrazoles

A direct, aerobic and visible light photocatalytic approach to synthesize 4-thiocyanated 5-hydroxy-1H-pyrazoles via cross-coupling of pyrazolin-5-ones with ammonium thiocyanate is described. Under redox-neutral and metal-free conditions, a series of 4-thiocyanated 5-hydroxy-1H-pyrazoles could be easily and efficiently obtained in good to high yields by using low-toxicity and inexpensive ammonium thiocyanate as the thiocyanate source.

KIO3-Mediated γ-C(sp3)-H Sulfenylation of Enaminones

A metal-free regioselective γ-C(sp³)-H sulfenylation of enaminones with heterocyclic thiols is reported. This transformation is efficient, mild, scalable, and environmentally friendly and tolerates a large variety of enaminones substrates and heterocyclic thiols. The utility of this strategy is demonstrated in a late-stage modification of bioactive natural products and drug derivatives.

Recent Advances of Green Catalytic System I2/DMSO in C–C and C–Heteroatom Bonds Formation

Developing a green, practical and efficient method for the formation of C–C and C–Heteroatom bonds is an important topic in modern organic synthetic chemistry. In recent years, the I2/DMSO catalytic system has attracted wide attention because of its green, high efficiency, atomic economy, low cost, mild reaction conditions and it is environment-friendly, which is more in line with the requirements of sustainable chemistry. Heteroatom-containing compounds have shown lots of important applications in pharmaceutical synthesis, agrochemicals, material chemistry and organic dyes. At present, the I2/DMSO catalytic system has been successfully applied to the synthesis of various heteroatom-containing compounds. The C–C and C–Heteroatom bonds have been formed efficiently, which has been proved to be a green and mild catalytic system. In this review, the research achievements of the I2/DMSO catalytic system in the formation of C–C and C–Heteroatom bonds from 2015 to date are described, and the research area is prospected. This review attempts to reveal the general law of iodine catalysis and lay a foundation for the design of new reactions.

Visible-Light-Induced Organophotocatalytic Difunctionallization: Open-Air Hydroxysulfurization of Aryl Alkenes with Aryl Thiols

Herein, we report a regioselective visible-light-induced organophotoredox catalytic difunctionalization method to prepare β-hydroxysulfides using aryl alkenes and aryl thiols as substrates. The reaction provides a wide substrate scope of aryl alkenes (from simple styrene to complex bioactive compounds) and aryl thiols (from diverse heteroaromatic thiols to nonheteroaromatic thiols) (total 45 examples, up to 88% yield). Based on the combined experimental and computational studies, we demonstrate that in situ generated hydroperoxyl radicals from O₂ in air react with benzylic radicals, which restrains the reaction between benzylic radicals and the acidic form of thiols in a classical thiol-ene radical reaction. We show that difunctionalization is possible due to the choice of bases, diluted substrate concentrations, increment in catalyst loading, and selection of suitable aryl thiols under aerobic conditions. Considering the biological importance of heteroaromatic thiols and the lack of methods to install them, our approach offers a platform to derive various β-hydroxysulfides that contain aromatic elements.

In-solution direct oxidative coupling for the integration of sulfur/selenium into DNA-encoded chemical libraries

Sulfur/selenium-containing electron-rich arenes (ERAs) exist in a wide range of both approved and investigational drugs with diverse pharmacological activities. These unique chemical structures and bioactive properties, if combined with the emerging DNA-encoded chemical library (DEL) technique, would facilitate drug and chemical probe discovery. However, it remains challenging, as there is no general DNA-compatible synthetic methodology available for the formation of C-S and C-Se bonds in aqueous solution. Herein, an in-solution direct oxidative coupling procedure that could efficiently integrate sulfur/selenium into the ERA under mild conditions is presented. This method features simple DNA-conjugated electron-rich arenes with a broad substrate scope and a transition-metal free process. Furthermore, this synthetic methodology, examined by a scale-up reaction test and late-stage precise modification in a mock peptide-like DEL synthesis, will enable its utility for the synthesis of sulfur/selenium-containing DNA-encoded libraries and the discovery of bioactive agents.

N-Triflination of pyrazolones: a new method for N-S bond formation

A simple method, which takes place quickly in 5 min, is developed for the N-triflination of pyrazolones using CF3SO2Na (Langlois reagent) and phenyliodine(iii)bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA). This reaction takes place at the imine nitrogen centre instead of the more reactive C4-position, forming a new N-S bond. A variety of pyrazolone derivatives were subjected to the reaction. Unlike the previous reports on sulfenylation or sulfonylation of pyrazolone, wherein the corresponding C-S bond is formed, this new method leads to the formation of the hetero-hetero atom bond (N-S bond) at room temperature.

Recent Advances in Iodine-Promoted C-S/N-S Bonds Formation

Sulfur-containing scaffold, as a ubiquitous structural motif, has been frequently used in natural products, bioactive chemicals and pharmaceuticals, particularly C-S/N-S bonds are indispensable in many biological important compounds and pharmaceuticals. Development of mild and general methods for C-S/N-S bonds formation has great significance in modern research. Iodine and its derivatives have been recognized as inexpensive, environmentally benign and easy-handled catalysts or reagents to promote the construction of C-S/N-S bonds under mild reaction conditions, with good regioselectivities and broad substrate scope. Especially based on this, several new strategies, such as oxidation relay strategy, have been greatly developed and accelerated the advancement of this field. This review focuses on recent advances in iodine and its derivatives promoted hybridized C-S/N-S bonds formation. The features and mechanisms of corresponding reactions are summarized and the results of some cases are compared with those of previous reports. In addition, the future of this domain is discussed.

Synthesis of 4-chalcogenyl pyrazoles via electrophilic chalcogenation/cyclization of α,β-alkynic hydrazones

A facile method for the synthesis of 4-chalcogenylated pyrazoles has been developed via electrophilic chalcogenation/cyclization of α,β-alkynic hydrazones. The cyclization of α,β-alkynic aldehyde hydrazones could be induced by using either sulfenyl chloride or the S-electrophiles generated in situ from the reaction of NCS and arythiol. The developed method was successfully applied to the synthesis of the sulfenyl analogue of celecoxib.

Iodine-Catalyzed Chemoselective Hydroamination Reaction Using 5-Mercaptotetrazoles Derivatives

Metal-free chemoselective hydroamination of styrene derivatives has been achieved with high chemoselectivity over sulfenylation of 1H-tetrazole-5-thiol using a catalytic amount of iodine. The scope of this methodology has been extended for the hydroamination of α-substituted styrene derivatives. This reaction involves a single-step C-N-bond formation under atom economical process. This eco-friendly method uses readily available and inexpensive iodine in a catalytic amount.

Iodine-catalyzed cross-coupling of isocyanides and thiols for the synthesis of S-thiocarbamates

Synthesis of S-thiocarbamates by employing simple and readily available precursors under mild reaction conditions with good to excellent yields.

Thermal conversion of primary alcohols to disulfidesviaxanthate intermediates: an extension to the Chugaev elimination

Heating primaryO-alkylS-difluoro(ethoxycarbonyl)methyl xanthates yields disulfides. This extends to the Chugaev elimination.

A straightforward and convenient synthesis of functionalized allyl thiosulfonates and allyl disulfanes

A practical, highly flexible and eco-friendly method has been developed for the synthesis of allyl thiosulfonates using Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) allyl bromides and sodium arylthiosulfonates, which were readily assembled without any reagent/catalyst. Moreover, the allyl thiosulfonates were successfully transformed into a set of two synthetically viable diallyl disulfanes and unsymmetrical allyl disulfanes in the presence of Cs₂CO₃. The present protocols are operationally simple and convenient to generate a wide range of functionalized allyl thiosulfonates and allyl disulfanes in good to excellent yields.

A practical, highly efficient and eco-friendly method for synthesis of multifunctional allyl thiosulfonates and allyl disulfanes is reported under mild reaction conditions.

Metal-free direct oxidative C–C bond coupling of pyrazolones and quinoxalinones

An efficient oxidative dehydrogenative coupling of quinoxalinones and pyrazolones has been successfully developed using a readily available persulfate oxidant. This protocol provides facile access to a wide array of hydroxy-pyrazolyl quinoxalinones in good to excellent yields.

DABCO-catalyzed silver-promoted direct thiolation of pyrazolones with diaryl disulfides

Efficient direct thiolation of N-substituted pyrazolones with diaryl disulfides was developed using a combination of DABCO and AgOAc to assist C–S bond formation.

Cs2CO3-promoted cross-dehydrogenative coupling of thiophenols with active methylene compounds

α-Sulfenylation of carbonyl compounds has been achieved via Cs₂CO₃-promoted aerobic cross-dehydrogenative coupling of thiophenols with active methylene compounds.

One-flask synthesis of pyrazolone thioethers involving catalyzed and uncatalyzed thioetherification pathways of pyrazolones

One-pot thioetherification of pyrazolones through cross-coupling as well as an aromatic S_N2 pathway using elemental sulfur as the sulfur source.