Facile access to thioethers using sodium thiosulfate as the sulfur surrogate under base-mediated conditions

Abstract

In this study, we developed an efficient synthetic method for thioether formation from sodium thiosulfate and organic bromides under transition-metal- and oxidant-free conditions. Sodium thiosulfate served as the sulfur source, reacting with an organic bromide to generate a Bunte salt; this salt subsequently reacted with the organic bromide through the in situ generation of a thiolate. The advantages of this method include operational simplicity, the production of structurally diverse compounds with favorable yields, the use of odorless and low-toxicity reagents, and straightforward applicability to large-scale operations.