Aryl sulfide synthesis via aryl exchange reaction

Abstract

Aryl sulfide is an important motif that is widespread in biologically active compounds as well as chemical materials. A conventional synthetic approach toward this motif is a metal-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl halides with sulfides. However, this method is often shunned because of its odor and the toxic nature of sulfides. We recently developed an alternative Ni/dcypt-catalyzed aryl sulfide synthesis via an aryl exchange reaction between 2-pyridyl sulfides and aryl electrophiles.