A one-pot, efficient, and odorless synthesis of symmetrical disulfides using organic halides and thiourea in the presence of manganese dioxide and wet polyethylene glycol (PEG-200)

Primary, secondary, tertiary, allylic, and benzylic halides are converted efficiently into symmetric disulfides in high yields using thiourea as the sulfur atom source. The reactions are odorless and are performed at 30–35 °C in wet PEG-200 using MnO2 as an oxidant.