Alkyl Sulfides as Promising Sulfur Sources: Metal-Free Synthesis of Aryl Alkyl Sulfides and Dialkyl Sulfides by Transalkylation of Simple Sulfides with Alkyl Halides
A site‐selective metal‐free dealkylative approach to synthesize aryl alkyl and symmetrical dialkyl sulfides has been developed. This procedure is convenient and has wide functional group tolerance giving rise to sulfides carrying various alkyl chains from simple alkyl sulfides and alkyl halides in good to excellent yields. This transalkylation proceeds by an ionic mechanism via sulfonium intermediates
The relative benzylic deprotonation rate constants of aryl–benzyl sulfides have been measured and the obtained values were compared with the substituent constants using the Hammett equation and with deprotonation Gibbs energies calculated on B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The deprotonation rate depends on the stabilization of the negative charge, which is spread over the benzene ring. The series of brominated