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Sulfur-Based Synthesis Techniques
Research Guide
What is Sulfur-Based Synthesis Techniques?
Sulfur-Based Synthesis Techniques refer to transition-metal-catalyzed methods in organic chemistry for forming sulfur bonds, including catalytic coupling reactions and the preparation of sulfur-containing compounds used in drug design, thiolation, and sulfonylation.
The field encompasses 36,042 published works on transition-metal-catalyzed sulfur chemistry, focusing on sulfur bond formation and applications in organic synthesis. Key processes involve coupling reactions with aryl halides for thiolation and sulfonylation. These techniques support medicinal chemistry through the synthesis of sulfur-containing compounds.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Thiolation Reactions
This sub-topic covers palladium and copper-catalyzed C-S bond formations between thiols and aryl/alkyl halides. Researchers optimize ligands, conditions, and scopes for synthetic efficiency.
Copper-Mediated Sulfonylation
This sub-topic focuses on copper-catalyzed coupling of sulfonyl chlorides or sulfinates with nucleophiles for sulfone construction. Researchers explore mechanistic insights and late-stage functionalizations.
Photoredox-Catalyzed Sulfur Bond Formation
This sub-topic leverages visible-light photoredox catalysis for mild sulfur heteroatom couplings. Researchers integrate dual catalysis with transition metals for challenging substrates.
Sulfur-Containing Heterocycle Synthesis
This sub-topic details catalytic annulations and cyclizations yielding thiophenes, thiazoles, and benzothiophenes. Researchers emphasize regioselectivity and scalability for library synthesis.
Catalytic C-H Sulfonylation
This sub-topic advances direct C-H activation for sulfone installation without prefunctionalization. Researchers develop selective directing-group strategies and computational models.
Why It Matters
Sulfur-Based Synthesis Techniques enable the construction of C(aryl)S bonds essential for pharmaceuticals and materials. Ley and Thomas (2003) detailed copper-mediated methods for C(aryl)S bond formation, allowing coupling of aryl boronic acids with sulfur nucleophiles under mild conditions tolerant of diverse functional groups. This approach has facilitated synthesis in drug design, as sulfur-containing heterocycles appear in approved drugs like antibiotics and kinase inhibitors. Additionally, Prier et al. (2013) highlighted photoredox catalysis applications in organic synthesis, including sulfur chemistry transformations that improve efficiency over traditional methods with 9092 citations reflecting widespread adoption.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
'Modern Synthetic Methods for Copper‐Mediated C(aryl)O, C(aryl)N, and C(aryl)S Bond Formation' by Steven V. Ley and Astrid Thomas (2003), as it directly addresses C(aryl)S bond formation central to sulfur-based techniques with practical methods for common substrates.
Key Papers Explained
Ley and Thomas (2003) established copper-mediated C(aryl)S couplings, expanded in their 2004 update with corrections to specific reactions. Prier et al. (2013) built on this by integrating photoredox catalysis for light-driven sulfur activations, cited 9092 times. Narayanam and Stephenson (2010) provided foundational visible light photoredox review with 4024 citations, enabling modern sulfur syntheses reviewed in Shaw et al. (2016).
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Recent preprints show no new activity in the last six months. News coverage lacks updates from the past year. Frontiers remain in combining photoredox with copper catalysis for multifunctional sulfur compounds, as implied in high-citation reviews like Prier et al. (2013).
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visible Light Photoredox Catalysis with Transition Metal Compl... | 2013 | Chemical Reviews | 9.1K | ✓ |
| 2 | Visible light photoredox catalysis: applications in organic sy... | 2010 | Chemical Society Reviews | 4.0K | ✕ |
| 3 | Synthetic Organic Electrochemical Methods Since 2000: On the V... | 2017 | Chemical Reviews | 3.6K | ✓ |
| 4 | The Palladium‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling Reactions of Organotin ... | 1986 | Angewandte Chemie Inte... | 3.4K | ✕ |
| 5 | Photoredox Catalysis in Organic Chemistry | 2016 | The Journal of Organic... | 3.0K | ✓ |
| 6 | Modern Synthetic Methods for Copper‐Mediated C(aryl)O, C(aryl)... | 2003 | Angewandte Chemie Inte... | 2.5K | ✕ |
| 7 | Solar Synthesis: Prospects in Visible Light Photocatalysis | 2014 | Science | 2.5K | ✓ |
| 8 | Tetrahedron report number 163 | 1984 | Tetrahedron | 2.2K | ✕ |
| 9 | Visible‐Light Photoredox Catalysis | 2012 | Angewandte Chemie Inte... | 2.2K | ✕ |
| 10 | Modern Synthetic Methods for Copper‐Mediated C(aryl)O, C(aryl)... | 2004 | Angewandte Chemie Inte... | 2.1K | ✓ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the primary methods in Sulfur-Based Synthesis Techniques?
Primary methods include transition-metal-catalyzed coupling reactions for sulfur bond formation, such as copper-mediated C(aryl)S couplings and palladium-catalyzed processes with organotin reagents. Ley and Thomas (2003) describe copper-mediated formation of C(aryl)S bonds using aryl boronic acids and sulfur sources. These techniques apply to thiolation and sulfonylation of aryl halides.
How do photoredox catalysis techniques contribute to sulfur synthesis?
Photoredox catalysis uses visible light and transition metal complexes to drive sulfur bond formations without high-energy UV light. Prier et al. (2013) reviewed applications in organic synthesis, including thiolation reactions activated by ruthenium or iridium complexes. This reduces side reactions and enables selective coupling of sulfur nucleophiles.
What role do copper-mediated reactions play in C-S bond formation?
Copper-mediated reactions form C(aryl)S bonds from aryl halides or boronic acids with thiols or disulfides. Ley and Thomas (2003) outlined methods tolerant of functional groups, achieving yields up to 90% in many cases. These are widely used in medicinal chemistry for sulfur-containing drug scaffolds.
Which paper provides the most cited overview of photoredox in synthesis?
Prier, Rankic, and MacMillan (2013) in 'Visible Light Photoredox Catalysis with Transition Metal Complexes: Applications in Organic Synthesis' has 9092 citations and covers sulfur-related couplings. Narayanam and Stephenson (2010) complement this with 4024 citations on visible light photoredox for organic synthesis including thiols.
What is the current scale of research in this field?
Research includes 36,042 works focused on transition-metal-catalyzed sulfur chemistry. Growth data over five years is not available. Keywords emphasize applications in drug design and organic synthesis.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can photoredox catalysis be optimized for selective sulfonylation without over-oxidation in complex molecules?
- ? What ligands improve copper-mediated C-S coupling efficiency with sterically hindered aryl halides?
- ? Which transition metals enable mild thiolation of unactivated alkanes beyond aryl systems?
- ? How do electrochemical methods integrate with sulfur catalysis for scalable drug synthesis?
- ? What mechanisms govern single-electron transfer in visible light-driven sulfur bond formations?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 36,042 works with no specified five-year growth rate.
No preprints appeared in the last six months, and no news coverage occurred in the past year.
High-citation papers like Prier et al. with 9092 citations continue to influence, focusing on photoredox without new metrics.
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