The first example of the direct halosulfenylation of benzo[b]furans with commercially available disulfides and N-halosuccinimides has been achieved, providing an efficient metal-free synthetic pathway to access diverse 3-halo-2-thiobenzo[b]furans in moderate to excellent yields. In particular, a halogen (e.g., bromo or iodo) substituent on the benzo[b]furan ring is amenable for further synthetic elaborations thereby broadening the diversity of the products.
![Graphical abstract: Direct halosulfenylation of benzo[b]furans: a metal-free synthesis of 3-halo-2-thiobenzo[b]furans](http://hg.y866.cn/compound/lib/scimg/usr/1/C8OB02680G.jpg)