Intermolecular Phosphite-Mediated Radical Desulfurative Alkene Alkylation Using Thiols.

We report herein the development of a S atom transfer process using triethyl phosphite as the S atom acceptor that allows thiols to serve as precursors of C-centered radicals. A range of functionalized and electronically unbiased alkenes including those containing common heteroatom-based functional groups readily participate in this reductive coupling. This process is driven by the exchange of relatively weak S-H and C-S bonds of aliphatic thiols for C-H, C-C, and S-P bonds of the products formed.