A facile one-pot synthesis of alkyl aryl sulfides from aryl bromides.

A convenient one-pot synthetic method for the formation of alkyl aryl sulfides from various alkyl halides and lithium aryl thiolates that are prepared in situ by direct halogen-lithium exchange is reported. In particular, the method overcomes many of the problems encountered in previous reports; it is very quick, catalyst-free, and does not involve use of unstable aryl thiols.