Nickel-catalyzed reductive thiolation and selenylation of unactivated alkyl bromides

Chalcogen-containing compounds have received considerable attention because of their manifold applications in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and material science. While many classical methods have been developed for preparing organic sulfides, most of them exploited the transition-metal-catalyzed cross-couplings of aryl halides or pseudo halides with thiols or disulfides, with harsh reaction conditions usually being required. Herein, we present a user-friendly, nickel-catalyzed reductive thiolation of unactivated primary and secondary alkyl bromides with thiosulfonates as reliable thiolation reagents, which are easily prepared and bench-stable. Furthermore, a series of selenides is also prepared in a similar fashion with selenosulfonates as selenolation reagents. This catalytic method offers a facile synthesis of a wide range of unsymmetrical alkyl-aryl or alkyl-alkyl sulfides and selenides under mild conditions with an excellent tolerance of functional groups. Likewise, the use of sensitive and stoichiometric organometallic reagents can be avoided.