ABATRACT
A direct approach to N,N′-disubstituted urea/thiourea from the self-condensation reactions of isothiocyanates in water has been developed. This access tolerated a wide range of functional groups on the aromatic ring, providing a practical and environment-friendly process to N,N′-disubstituted urea/thiourea in moderate to excellent yields from safe and easily available starting materials. A plausible mechanism of the desulfurization self-condensation reaction for urea was also proposed and the role of di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) and copper catalyst in the present strategy was demonstrated with the help of ESI mass spectrometry of intermediate studies.
Graphical Abstract
DTBP-mediated synthesis of N,N′-disubstituted urea/thiourea motifs from isothiocyanates in water
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Disclosure statement
There are no conflicts of interest to declare.