Metal-free carbon–carbon cross-couplings between the ion pairs in sulfonium tetraphenylborates

A series of sulfonium tetraphenylborates can be readily prepared by the metathesis of sulfonium halides with sodium tetraphenylborates. After heating at 120–150 °C, the sulfonium tetraphenylborates can smoothly undergo the cross-couplings between the tetraphenylborate anions and the sulfonium cations in the absence of a metal catalyst. For carbonylmethyl-, benzyl-, and allylsulfoniums, the corresponding carbonylmethyl–phenyl, benzyl–phenyl, and allyl–phenyl cross-coupling products can be obtained in 22–76% yields. An interionic electron-transfer mechanism for this cross-coupling reaction is proposed.