NH4I-Catalyzed C–S bond formation via an oxidation relay strategy: Efficient access to dithioether decorated indolizines

Abstract An efficient NH4I-catalyzed C–H/S–H cross-coupling reaction of indolizines with thiols is reported. Compared to previous methods, this environmentally friendly oxidation relay strategy uses O2 as an oxidant to afford dithioether decorated indolizines in up to 98% yield. Promising results have been obtained, indicating the high applicability and atom economy of this method.