Research Progress in C-S Coupling Reactions of Aryl Halides

Sulfur-containing compounds are widely found in natural products, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and materials, possessing a variety of biological activities or unique functions. C-S coupling reaction is an important method for the synthesis of sulfur-containing compounds and is one of the hot spots in the field of organic synthesis. With the in-depth development of catalysts and the continuous expansion of sulfur-containing coupling partners, a large number of C-S coupling reactions have emerged in recent years, which greatly facilitate the synthesis of sulfur-containing compounds. Aryl halides are the main kind of substrates for the synthesis of sulfur-containing compounds. C-S coupling reactions of aryl halides and sulfur-containing coupling partners can efficiently afford sulfur-containing compounds, such as thiophenols, thioethers, disulfides and sulfones in different well-designed reaction systems. In this review, the C-S coupling reactions with aryl halides as substrates are reviewed according to the different types of sulfur-containing coupling partners and catalysts (palladium, copper, nickel, and others). The mechanisms of representative reactions are briefly described and compared. In addition, a brief analysis of the current situations and limitations in this field is given, and a prospect for future development is put forward.