Chalcogen-containing compounds have received considerable attention because of their manifold applications in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and material science. While many classical methods have been developed for preparing organic sulfides, most of them exploited the transition-metal-catalyzed cross-couplings of aryl halides or pseudo halides with thiols or disulfides, with harsh reaction conditions usually being required. Herein, we present a user-friendly, nickel-catalyzed reductive thiolation of unactivated primary and secondary alkyl bromides with thiosulfonates as reliable thiolation reagents, which are easily prepared and bench-stable. Furthermore, a series of selenides is also prepared in a similar fashion with selenosulfonates as selenolation reagents. This catalytic method offers a facile synthesis of a wide range of unsymmetrical alkyl-aryl or alkyl-alkyl sulfides and selenides under mild conditions with an excellent tolerance of functional groups. Likewise, the use of sensitive and stoichiometric organometallic reagents can be avoided.

An I2/TBHP mediated oxidation of commercially available indoles has been developed, which affords isatins in moderate to good yields.

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A novel catalyst-free one-pot tandem reaction for the stereoselective construction of polycyclic spiroindolines was developed. This method offers a straightforward access to structurally diverse polycyclic spiroindoline derivatives in high yields (up to 90%) with excellent levels of diastereoselectivity.

An efficient and practical synthesis of benzothiazine by K2S initiated sulfur insertion reaction with enaminones via electron catalysis is developed.

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A highly selective and general method for the synthesis of enantiopure deoxypropionates via the iterative application of CuI-Tol-BINAP-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition is described. This method gives access to all possible stereoisomers since both syn- and anti-deoxypropionates were obtained in high diastereoselectivities. The usefulness of the method is further exemplified by the preparation of two marine organisms, siphonarienal and siphonarienone, from commercially available trans-2-hexenoate.

A novel CuI/BF(3)·Et(2)O/O(2)-mediated reaction utilizing ketones and benzylamines for the construction of substituted imidazoles in one step under mild conditions has been demonstrated. This protocol involved the removal of eight hydrogen atoms, the functionalization of four C(sp(3))-H bonds and three new C-N bond formations.