Silicon-based thiourea-mediated and microwave-assisted thio-Michael addition under solvent-free reaction conditions

Silicon-based thiourea (SiliaBond® Thiourea) (Si-THU), a heterogeneous catalyst, has been applied to the highly selective C-S bond formation via Michael addition of thiols to α,β -unsaturated carbonyl compounds under solvent-free conditions at 55–60°C. The thio-Michael addition products were obtained in an excellent yield under optimised conditions. This methodology involving a metal-free as well as a metal scavenger catalyst has been found to be an alternative method for the thio-Michael addition reaction.