Discovery of tetrazole thioethers: An efficient, environmentally friendly and metal-free S-arylation using diaryliodonium salts

An efficient, environmentally friendly, and metal-free method for the synthesis of functionalized tetrazole thioethers via the S-arylation of tetrazole-5-thiones using diaryliodonium salts as aryl transfer reagents has been developed. This novel methodology provides rapid access to tetrazole thioether derivatives under facile conditions. Our study underscores the chemoselectivity of unsymmetrical diaryliodonium salts, emphasizing their preference for the transfer of sterically hindered and electron-deficient aryl groups. Notably, the synthesized compound 3h exhibits antitumor activity against A2780 (ovarian cancer) and MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) tumor cells. In silico studies predict these compounds to possess good drug-likeness and low toxicity risk. These findings highlight the potential of functionalized tetrazole thioethers as antiproliferative agents and pave the way for further development and optimization in future investigations.