Thiol-ene reactions of 1,3,5-triacryloylhexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (TAT): facile access to functional tripodal thioethers

Efficient syntheses of tripodal thioethers have been achieved by ionic thiol-ene reactions of 1,3,5-triacryloylhexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (TAT) with a variety of commercially available thiols. The reactions are complete within minutes and give the products in high yields (63−96%) and high purity without a complex workup. The thiol-ene reactions tolerate a wide range of functionality, including hydroxy, amino, carboxylate, and trimethoxylsilyl groups. The amino acid cysteine is also an excellent substrate for this reaction.