Comprehensive review on the synthesis of isothiocyanates <i>via</i> desulfurization

Heterocyclic compounds have long been of interest to chemists who work with both natural and synthetic products. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) display a variety of biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-HIV, and anticancer properties, etc. They are important in synthetic chemistry as well, as they provide useful platforms for a variety of transformations. They have thus caught the interest of chemists and biologists. The development of novel drug moieties has led medicinal chemists to concentrate more on structurally unique isothiocyanates with exceptional bioactivity in recent years. Many techniques have been developed in recent decades to construct isothiocyanate derivatives as desired molecules, and they have demonstrated a variety of biological activities. Thus, knowledge of synthetic pathways leading to isothiocyanates is essential to support the future advancements in the quantity of isothiocyanate-based lead molecules. Accordingly, this review provides an overview of recent developments in isothiocyanate synthesis. The most recent advancements in various synthetic methods for isothiocyanates and their derivatives during the previous seven years (2015–2025 till date) were gathered in this review. This review comprises the importance of isothiocyanates (ITCs) with specific focus on advances in recently developed synthetic protocols toward the construction of ITCs and their derivatives (from 2015–2025 till date).