Copper‐Catalyzed Thiolation of Terminal Alkynes with N‐Thiosuccinimides to Access Alkynyl Sulfides.

An efficient copper‐catalyzed thiolation of terminal alkynes with N‐thiosuccinimides was developed. The reaction demonstrated an expanded substrate scope and produced various alkynyl sulfides in moderate to good yields. Gram‐scale synthesis and further transformations confirmed the synthetic utility of this methodology. Preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that a Cu(I)/Cu(III) catalytic cycle was probably involved in the process of alkynylthiolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]