Palladium-catalyzed debenzylative cross-coupling of aryl benzyl sulfides with aryl bromides: synthesis of diaryl sulfides.

A novel debenzylative approach to synthesize diaryl sulfides from aryl benzyl sulfides and aryl bromides in good to excellent yields is reported. Mechanistic studies suggest a single catalyst, derived from Pd(dba)2 and NiXantPhos, efficiently catalyzes α-arylation of sulfides, C-S bond cleavage, and C-S bond formation in a tricatalytic cycle.