Synthesis of Di-, Tri-, and Tetrasulfides through Multifold Carbon−Sulfur Cross-Coupling Reactions with Indium Tri(organothiolates) in a One-Pot Procedure

Pd-catalyzed multifold (2-, 3-, and 4-fold) carbon−sulfur cross-coupling reaction of indium tri(organothiolates) with polybromonated aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds was developed in a one-pot procedure. Both 2,5-dibromopyridine and 2,6-dibromopyridine reacted with indium tri(organothiolates) (0.68 equiv) in the presence of 4 mol % of Pd(OAc)2, 4.2 mol % of Xantphos, and 1 equiv of diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA), producing disulfides in good to excellent yields. These results indicate that indium tri(organothiolates) transfer all three alkyl- or arylthio groups attached to indium metal to electrophilic coupling partners. Indium tri(organothiolates) derived from alkyl thiol having a low boiling point, such as n-propyl, isopropyl, and tert-butyl thiol, acted as good nucleophilic coupling partners. In addition, indium tri(arylthiolates) derived from aryl thiols possessing an electron-withdrawing or -donating group on the aromatic ring participated well in the Pd-catalyzed multifold carbon−sulfur cross-coupling reaction. 4,4′-Dibromo-1,1′-biphenyl, 9,10-dibromoanthracene, 2,4-dibromoanisole, 2,7-dibromo-9,9-dimethylfluorene, 3,4-dibromothiophene, 2,3-dibromothiophene, 2,2′-bithiophene, 1,3,5-tribromobenzene, and 1,2,4,5-tetrabromobenzene were converted smoothly to the corresponding di-, tri-, and tetrasulfides.