A general method for the formation of aryl-sulfur bonds using copper(I) catalysts.

[reaction: see text] We report a mild, palladium-free synthetic protocol for the cross-coupling reaction of aryl iodides and thiols using 10 mol % CuI and 10 mol % neocuproine, with NaOt-Bu as the base, in toluene at 110 degrees C. Using this protocol, we have shown that a variety of aryl sulfides can be synthesized in excellent yields from readily available iodides and thiols.