Methyl iodide → 1,2-Difluoro-4-(methylsulfanyl)benzene

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Reaction Steps

Iodomethane (15 mL, 0.22 mol) was added to a stirred mixture of 3,4-difluorobenzenethiol (30 g, 0.21 mol) and potassium carbonate (32.6 g, 0.24 mol) in DMF (250 mL), and left overnight. The reaction mixture was diluted with water (100 mL) and extracted with ethyl ether (100 mL×3), the organic phases were dried over Na2SO4 and evaporated under reduced pressure to give (3,4-difluorophenyl)(methyl)sulfane as a yellow liquid. Yield: 30 g, 89.3%. 3-Chloroperoxybenzoic acid (85% in purity, 62.5 g, 0.305 mol) was added in portions to a solution of (3,4-difluorophenyl)(methyl)sulfane (25 g, 0.155 mol) in dichloromethane (650 mL), and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h. The mixture was washed with saturated aqueous sodium sulfite solution (200 mL). The organic phases were sequentially washed with aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution (100 mL×2) and water (100 mL), dried over Na2SO4 and evaporated under reduced pressure to give the title compound as a white solid. Yield: 18 g, 60%.

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