Perfluoroalkylation of Thiosulfonates: Synthesis of Perfluoroalkyl Sulfides

A practical synthesis of perfluoroalkyl sulfides is described. The method employs stable and readily accessible thiosulfonates as new electrophiles with commercial nucleophilic perfluoroalkylating reagents. The mild reaction conditions allow access to a wide variety of both aryl- and alkyl-substituted perfluoroalkyl sulfides amenable to pharmaceutical development. Furthermore, the reaction operation is straightforward, odorless, does not produce toxic wastes, and, therefore should appeal to practitioners in industrial-scale productions.