Reductive coupling of disulfides and diselenides with alkyl halides catalysed by a silica-supported phosphine rhodium complex using hydrogen as a reducing agent.

The reductive coupling of disulfides and diselenides with alkyl halides was achieved in THF at 65 °C in the presence of 3 mol% of a silica-supported phosphine rhodium complex and triethylamine using hydrogen as a reducing agent, affording a variety of unsymmetrical sulfides and selenides in high yields. The heterogeneous rhodium catalyst can be recovered by a simple filtration and reused several times without significant loss of activity. Reaction with an acyl halide was also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]