One-Pot Synthesis of Isothiocyanates from Amines Mediated by Carbon Tetrabromide

In this work, we successfully prepared isothiocyanates in one-pot manner from the corresponding amines using carbon tetrabromide as a desulfurizing agent. The in situ formation of dithiocarbamate salts from amines followed by desulfurization using carbon disulfide provided various isothiocyanates in good to excellent yields. Moreover, our method can be extended to prepare unsymmetrical thioureas in one-pot process. Both methods are applicable to large scale synthesis. The benefits of this reaction include one-pot synthesis, mild condition, simple operation, and metal-free process.