Ru-Catalyzed Regioselective CH-Hydroarylation of Alkynes with Benzylthioethers Using Sulfur as Directing Group

Benzylthioethers react with internal alkynes in the presence of catalytic amounts of [Ru(cymene)Cl-2](2) to give the corresponding ortho-alkenylated species, using sulfur as the sole directing group. The reaction is regiospecific, tolerates different substituents at both the sulfur and the aryl ring, and proceeds very efficiently with a large variety of electron-rich alkynes.