Copper‐Catalyzed Reaction of Aryl Isocyanides with Active Methylene Isocyanides and Arylsulfonothioates: Synthesis of Sulfur‐Containing Trisubstituted Imidazoles.

A Copper‐catalyzed reaction of aryl isocyanides with active methylene isocyanides and arylsulfonothioates is developed for the synthesis of sulfur‐containing trisubstituted imidazoles. This reaction not only forms new C−C, C−N, and C−S bonds in one step, but also provides a new strategy for the construction of trisubstituted imidazoles based on the isocyanide‐isocyanide [3+2] cycloaddition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]