An unprecedented geminal olefinic dichalcogenation of
alkenyl sulfonium
salts with dichalcogenides ArYYAr (Y = S, Se, Te) is reported, providing
various trisubstituted 1,1-dichalcogenalkenes [Ar1CH =
C(YAr2)2] in a highly selective manner under
mild and catalyst-free conditions. The key process involves the formation
of two geminal olefinic C–Y bonds via sequential C–Y
cross-coupling and C–H chalcogenation. A mechanistic rationale
is further supported by control experiments and density functional
theory calculations.