LiBr-Catalyzed C3-Disulfuration between Indole and N-Dithiophthalimide

J Org Chem. 2023 Feb 17;88(4):2550-2556. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c02556. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

Abstract

A simple, green halide-catalyzed protocol for disulfuration of indole derivatives with N-dithiophthalimides has been developed. This C-H disulfide reaction proceeded smoothly at room temperature with economical LiBr as catalyst, providing an effective method for the synthesis of novel unsymmetrical disulfides. A series of 3-dithioindole derivatives were obtained in high yields with good functional group tolerance; moreover, the wide scope of Harpp reagents (aryl, benzyl, primary, secondary, tertiary) confirmed the practicability of this approach.