Sulfur extrusion from disulfides by carbenes

A method for preparing a compound T having a thioether group from a compound D having a disulfide group, wherein the method comprises the step of:

• reacting the compound D in the presence of a carbene to form the compound T;
• wherein the compound D is a compound of the following general formula (1) and the compound T is a compound of the following general formula (3)
• wherein R2 to R5 are each a hydrogen atom;
• and
• R1 and R6 may be the same or different and are each independently selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, a group of the general formula (2), and —COOZ7,
• wherein R7 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group;
• R8 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, and —COOR10, wherein R10 is selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group and a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group;
• R9 is selected from the group consisting of —OR11, wherein R11 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group;
• Z7 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group;
• and
• R1 and R6 may bond to each other to form one or more rings;
• and
• wherein the carbene is an N-heterocyclic carbene selected from the group consisting of 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene, 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) imidazol-2-ylidene, 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene, 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene, 1,3-diisopropylimidazol-2-ylidene, 1,3-dimethylbenzimidazol-2-ylidene, and 1,4-dimethyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene.