Insight into copper-catalyzed decarboxylative thiolation of carboxylic acids in the gas phase

Abstract Organocopper complexes bearing bidentate nitrogen ligands were synthesized in the gas phase by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Gas-phase decarboylative thiolation reaction was carried out in the ion-trap analyzer by collision-induced dissociation and ion-molecule reaction. The carboxylic acids were finally converted to thioethers as a neutral loss via collision-induced dissociation. During this process, copper acetate acted as a catalyst, and the valence state change of copper was observed. Meanwhile, the mechanism of decarboxylative thiolation was examined. This reaction was also suitable for different carboxylic acids and bidentate nitrogen ligands in the gas phase.