A highly efficient, operationally simple and selective thia-Michael addition under solvent-free condition

The rapid and very simple conjugate addition of thiols to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds under solvent-free conditions in the presence of catalytic amount of lithium hydroxide at room temperature is reported. The reaction of aryl, alkyl, aliphatic, and hindered thiols with chalcone, enone, and nitrostyrene gave the corresponding Michael adducts with significant advantages, such as high conversions, short reaction time, mild reaction conditions, low cost, simple catalyst, and high to quantitative yields with excellent chemoselectivity.