An eco-friendly, high-yielding, and transition-metal-free synthesis of 2-[(2,4-dimethylphenyl)thio]aniline precursor to vortioxetine is reported. Vortioxetine, a multi-modal acting drug with high affinity for a range of serotonergic targets, is used for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The synthesis – applicable in multi-gram scale – involves the reaction of bis(2,4-dimethyl)iodonium bromide with commercial 2-aminophenyl disulfide, whereas its reaction with 2-aminothiophenol afforded the same product but in low to moderate yields. This method works equally well in deep eutectic solvents (DESs), based on choline chloride (ChCl).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.