NHC ligand-powered palladium-catalyzed carbonylative C–S bond cleavage of vinyl sulfides: efficient access to tert-butyl arylacrylates

Abstract

A method for palladium-catalyzed carbonylative C–S bond activation of divinyl sulfides to synthesize numerous tert-(E)-butyl arylacry-lates under 1 bar of CO has been developed. Employing electron-rich NHC as the ligand, the electron-rich and stabilized palladium complex trend to oxidative addition to the relatively inert C–S bond and decreased the poisoning effect of sulfide and CO; a series of tert-(E)-butyl acrylates were obtained in moderate to good yields.