N-Thiocyanato-dibenzenesulfonimide: a new electrophilic thiocyanating reagent with enhanced reactivity

A novel electrophilic thiocyanating reagent, N-thiocyanato-dibenzenesulfonimide, was prepared and exhibited enhanced electrophilicity with a wide scope of substrates. Thus, it reacted with activated aromatics such as phenols, indoles, anilines and anisoles without a catalyst giving the corresponding thicyanate derivatives in high yields, while TfOH for unactivated arenes and hetero aromatics and Zn(OTf)(2) for ketones was used as the catalyst, respectively. It is noteworthy that internal alkenes and styrenes were bifunctionalized giving 1,2-amino thiocyanates in high yields.