Rhodium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Unsymmetric Di(heteroaryl) Sulfides Using Heteroaryl Ethers and S-Heteroaryl Thioesters via Heteroarylthio Exchange.

Unsymmetric di(heteroaryl) sulfides were synthesized by a rhodium-catalyzed heteroarylthio exchange reaction of heteroaryl aryl ethers and S-(heteroaryl) thioesters. The reaction has broad applicability, giving diverse unsymmetric di(heteroaryl) sulfides containing five- and six-membered heteroarenes. No base is required in this reaction, which has been developed by the judicious design of organic substrates.