Controllable Synthesis of Mono‐ and Bis‐sulfenylindoles from Indoles and Various Sulfenylation Agents Using KI/SeO2 System

Abstract An efficient method for selective synthesis of mono‐ and bis‐sulfenylindoles was developed using a novel aerobic catalytic oxidation system KI/SeO 2 for sulfenylation of indoles with disulfide/thiols. The selectivity was controlled by varying the amount of the catalytic system and sulfenylation agents. The reaction features easy operation, mild reaction conditions, good atom economy, gram‐scalability, and a metal‐free approach furnishing desired products in up to excellent yields.