Metal-Free Oxidative Thioesterification of Methyl Ketones with Thiols/Disulfides for the Synthesis of α‑Ketothioesters

A direct
Csp3–H bond oxidative thioesterification
of methyl ketones with aromatic thiols/disulfides promoted by TBAI/K2S2O8 has been developed. The reaction
provides successfully a simple and efficient method for the synthesis
of functionalized α-ketothioesters of aromatic thiols. This
practical methodology exhibits readily available starting materials,
large-scale applicability, synthetic application, and broad functional
group tolerance. A possible mechanism for the transformation is proposed.