Cationic palladium(<scp>ii</scp>)-catalyzed dehydrative nucleophilic substitutions of benzhydryl alcohols with electron-deficient benzenethiols in water
An efficient direct nucleophilic substitution of benzhydryl alcohols with electron-deficient benzenethiols using cationic Pd(II) catalysts as Lewis acids in water is reported. Atom economical and environmentally benign protocols afford S-benzylated products in moderate to excellent yields. Commercially available Pd(MeCN)4(OTf)2, PdCl2(MeCN)2, and Na2PdCl4 are highlyefficientcatalysts. Notably, this