Visible-Light-Driven Synthesis of Alkenyl Thiocyanates: Novel Building Blocks for Diverse Sulfur-Containing Molecular Assembly

The first visible-light-induced protocol for the general preparation of alkenyl thiocyanates from alkenyl bromides is presented. The reaction is simple, proceeds under very mild conditions and demonstrates broad functional group tolerance. Additionally, a flow protocol was developed to enable efficient scale-up of alkenyl thiocyanate synthesis, further enhancing the practicality and value of the method. Importantly, these alkenyl thiocyanates serve as valuable building blocks for the construction of diverse families of sulfur-containing molecules through trifluoromethylation, cycloaddition, oxidations, and C–S or C–P bond forming reactions.