Transition-metal-free formal cross-coupling of aryl methyl sulfoxides and alcohols via nucleophilic activation of C-S bond

Abstract

Cross-coupling processes without the use of transition metals are challenging to achieve. Here, the authors show a transition-metal-free cross-coupling utilizing aryl(heteroaryl) methyl sulfoxides and alcohols to afford alkyl aryl(heteroaryl) ethers and propose a nucleophilic addition mechanism based on experiments and theory.