Ni-nanoparticles: A mild chemo-selective catalyst for synthesis of thioethers

A novel method for selective oxidative coupling of a thiol with an alcohol to form the corresponding thioether in the presence of other functional groups, viz. -NH2, -X, -NO2, -OCH3, etc., under air atmosphere using Ni-nanoparticles is described. Ni-nanoparticles act as a novel selective catalyst, which efficiently reduces the reaction time and increases the yield without producing any side products. Ni-nanoparticles have high TON and TOF so they can be easily recycled. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.