Mohammad Abbasi

A simple and efficient method for the thiocyanation of indoles and phenols has been developed. In this protocol, the substrates are converted into 3-thiocyanatoindoles and 4-thiocyanatophenols, respectively, by treatment with equimolar amounts of C2Cl6 and KSCN in DMSO at 120°C in the presence of a catalytic amount of CuI. The reaction proceeds smoothly under ligand- and additive-free conditions to afford the desired products in good to excellent yields. Control experiments confirmed that both CuI and C2Cl6 are essential for the transformation, as no product formation occurs in their absence. Moreover, DMF was also found to be a suitable solvent for this transformation.