Phthalimide-Carried Disulfur Transfer To Synthesize Unsymmetrical Disulfanes via Copper Catalysis

A versatile Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction to various unsymmetrical disulfanes has been presented, from phthalimide-carried disulfur transfer reagents and commercially available boronic acids under mild and practical conditions. The method features the unprecedented use of phthalimide-carried disulfurating reagents (Harpp reagent) in cross-coupling chemistry and is highlighted by the broad substrate scopes, even applicable for the transfer of aryl-disulfur moieties (ArSS−). Notably, the robustness of this methodology is shown by the late-stage modification of bioactive scaffolds of coumarin, estrone, and captopril.