Rhodium-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling of Disulfides and Diselenides with Alkyl Halides, Using Hydrogen as a Reducing Agent

We have established that RhCl(PPh3)3 catalyzes a reductive coupling of disulfides and diselenides with alkyl halides in the presence of triethylamine using hydrogen as a reducing agent. This reaction serves as a convenient new method to produce unsymmetrical sulfides and selenides from disulfides and diselenides instead of unstable and odoriferous thiols and selenols.