N -Thiocyanato-dibenzenesulfonimide: A new electrophilic thiocyanating reagent with enhanced reactivity

A novel electrophilic thiocyanating reagent, N-thiocyanato-dibenzenesulfonimide, was prepared and exhibited enhanced electrophilicity with a wide scope of substrates. Thus, it reacted with activated aromatics such as phenols, indoles, anilines and anisoles without a catalyst giving the corresponding thicyanate derivatives in high yields, while TfOH for unactivated arenes and hetero aromatics and Zn(OTf)₂ for ketones was used as the catalyst, respectively. It is noteworthy that internal alkenes and styrenes were bifunctionalized giving 1,2-amino thiocyanates in high yields.