The first example of a smooth, practical and useful strategy for the preparation of ortho-aryl/alkyl sulfenyl phenols by using the reaction of aryl/alkyl thiols with phenols in the presence cobalt as catalyst, and with the assistance of acetic anhydride as directing group via CeH bond activation, was developed. Described method enables to form selectively CeS bond without any ligand, oxidant, and aryl/alkyl halide under mild conditions.
