Sulfenylation Techniques in Organic Synthesis

Sulfenylation—the installation of R–S– groups onto organic frameworks—represents a cornerstone transformation for the construction of thioethers, biologically active molecules and advanced materials. Traditional protocols often rely on pre-functionalised electrophilic sulphur reagents such as sulfenyl chlorides, disulfides or sulfonyl hydrazides. Recent developments have expanded the toolkit to include transition-metal catalysis, photocatalytic and organocatalytic approaches, as well as heterogeneous and solvent-free processes. Key challenges include achieving high regio- and chemoselectivity, operational simplicity and environmental compatibility. Innovations in reagent design, in situ generation of reactive intermediates and catalyst engineering have delivered milder conditions, broader substrate scope and improved atom economy, underlining the global importance of sulfenylation in drug discovery, agrochemistry and materials science.

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Sulfenylation Techniques in Organic Synthesis publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sulfenylation techniques in organic synthesis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sulfenylation: Introduction of an R–S– group into an organic molecule by forming a new carbon–sulfur bond.

Electrophilic sulfenylation: Mechanism in which a positively activated sulfur species reacts with a nucleophilic carbon centre.

Disulfide activation: Strategy using R–S–S–R precursors that are cleaved to generate reactive sulfenyl intermediates.

Photocatalysis: Use of light-absorbing catalysts to promote chemical transformations via generation of reactive radicals or ions.

Heterogeneous catalysis: Catalytic process in which the solid catalyst is in a different phase from the liquid or gaseous reactants, facilitating recovery and reuse.

References

1. Iodophor-Catalyzed Disulfenylation of Amino Naphthalenes with Aryl Sulfonyl Hydrazines. Molecules (2024).
2. Visible-Light-Induced, Graphene Oxide-Promoted C3-Chalcogenylation of Indoles Strategy under Transition-Metal-Free Conditions. Molecules (2022).
3. Boosted Heterogeneous Catalysis by Surface‐Accumulated Excess Electrons of Non‐Oxidized Bare Copper Nanoparticles on Electride Support. Advanced Science (2022).