Selective formation of heteroaryl thioethers via a phosphonium ion coupling reaction

Heteroaryl thioethers, comprised of pyridines and diazines, are an important class of compounds with relevance to medicinal chemistry. Metal-catalyzed cross-couplings and SNAr reactions are traditionally used to form C–S bonds in these systems but are limited by available halogenated precursors. An alternative approach is presented where pyridines and diazines are transformed into heterocyclic phosphonium salts and then C–S bonds are formed by adding thiolate nucleophiles. The process is 4-selective for pyridines, simple to execute and can be used to make derivatives of complex pharmaceuticals.