Copper-Catalyzed Direct Thiolation of Ketones Using Sulfonohydrazides: A Synthetic Route to Benzylic Thioethers.

A facile copper-catalyzed sustainable thiolation of ketones with sulfonohydrazides has been designed for the efficient construction of benzylic thioethers in excellent yield under mild reaction conditions. The current approach avoids the widely used thiolation reagent, thiols. The commercial availability of the base and reagents, broad substrate scope, and convenient reaction procedure make it an attractive method for benzylic thioether synthesis.