A new tetrazine catalytic system for the synthesis of N-aryl-α-arylated glycine ester derivatives.

A novel catalytic system has been developed, comprising 3,6-dichloro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine as the catalyst, zinc acetate as an additive, dichloromethane as the solvent, and air as the oxidizing agent. Under ambient conditions, this system effectively activates C-S bonds. Specifically, it facilitates the reaction between α-benzylthioglycine ester and electron-rich aromatics, achieving functionalization of the C-S bond. This method exhibits mild reaction conditions, broad substrate compatibility, and yields up to 91%. A plausible free radical mechanism is proposed to explain the observed reactivity.