Polystyrene-supported 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene as an efficient and reusable catalyst for the thiolysis of 1,2-epoxides under solvent-free conditions

Polystyrene-supported 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (PS-TBD) is an effective basic catalyst for the thiolysis of the 1,2-epoxides 1a-e by the aryl- and alkyl-substituted thiols 2A-E under solvent-free conditions while its activity is remarkably reduced in MeCN. The reactions are totally anti-diastereoselective and generally highly C-beta regioselective. The corresponding hydroxy sulfides have been isolated in excellent yields and the catalyst has been easily recovered and reused with no loss in terms of efficiency and selectivity of the process. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006).