Magnesium-induced copper-catalyzed synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl chalcogenide compounds from aryl iodide via cleavage of the Se-Se or S-S bond.

The methodology for a copper-catalyzed preparation of diaryl chalcogenide compounds from aryl iodides and diphenyl dichalcogenide molecules is reported. Unsymmetrical diaryl sulfide or diaryl selenide can be synthesized from aryl iodide and PhYYPh (Y = S, Se) with a copper catalyst (CuI or Cu(2)O) and magnesium metal in one pot. This reaction can be carried out under neutral conditions according to an addition of magnesium metal as the reductive reagent. Furthermore, it is efficiently available for two monophenylchalcogenide groups generated from diphenyl dichalcogenide.