A room-temperature, copper-catalyzed synthesis of symmetrical diarylsulfanes has been developed. The reaction proceeds from aryl iodides and elemental sulfur (S8) by the action of copper(I) salts in the presence of N-ethyl-N-isopropylpropan-2-amine to afford the corresponding diarylsulfanes in good yields.
Key words
S-arylation - copper(I) iodide - diarylsulfanes - sulfur