“One-Pot” Two-Step Synthesis of Aryl Sulfur Compounds by Photoinduced Reactions of Thiourea Anion with Aryl Halides

Abstract

[reaction: see text]. The photoinduced reactions of aryl halides with the thiourea anion afford arene thiolate ions in DMSO. These species without isolation, and by a subsequent aliphatic nucleophilic substitution, S(RN)1 reaction, oxidation, or protonation, yield aryl methyl sulfides, diaryl sulfides, diaryl disulfides, and aryl thiols with good yields (50-80%). This is a simple and convenient approach which involves the use of the commercially available and inexpensive thiourea in a "one-pot" two-step process for the synthesis of aromatic sulfur compounds.