Thiyl Radical Trapped by Cobalt Catalysis: An Approach to Markovnikov Thiol-Ene Reaction

Org Lett. 2024 Jan 26;26(3):591-596. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c03740. Epub 2024 Jan 12.

Abstract

In the presence of a thiyl radical species, the catalytic Markovnikov thiol-ene reaction is challenging because it prefers to proceed via a radical pathway, thereby leading to anti-Markovnikov selectivity. In this work, a rare example of thiyl radical engaged in Markovnikov thiol-ene reaction enabled by cobalt catalysis is reported. This protocol features the avoidance of unique oxidants, exclusive regioselectivity, and broad substrate scope. Scalable synthesis and late-stage modification of complex molecules demonstrate the practicability of the protocol.