A simple and green synthesis of diaryl sulfides catalyzed by an MCM-41-immobilized copper(I) complex in neat water

•The MCM-41-2N–CuCl complex could be conveniently prepared by a simple procedure.•This heterogeneous copper catalyst showed good catalytic activity in neat water.•This copper catalyst can be reused for 10 times without any decrease in activity.•Our catalytic system provides a green route for the synthesis of diaryl sulfides.

The heterogeneous carbon–sulfur bond formation reaction of aryl iodides with potassium thiocyanate was achieved in neat water at 130 °C by using 5 mol% MCM-41-immobilized bidentate nitrogen/CuCl complex [MCM-41-2N–CuCl] as catalyst and Cs2CO3 as base, yielding a variety of diaryl sulfides in moderate to high yields. This heterogeneous copper catalyst can be easily prepared by a simple two-step procedure from commercially available and cheap reagents and recovered by a simple filtration and reused for 10 cycles without loss of catalytic activity.

Graphical abstractAn environmentally friendly, efficient and practical method for the synthesis of diaryl sulfides has been developed by an MCM-41-immobilized copper(I) complex-catalyzed coupling reaction of aryl iodides with potassium thiocyanate in neat water.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide