4 bromothiophenol

All materials were used as received. Zinc(ii) oxide (ZnO, 99.99%) was purchased from Alfa Aesar; zinc(ii) sulfide (ZnS, 99.99%, 10 μm particle size), zinc metal (99.8%, 20–30 mesh size), 1-methylimidazole (or N-methylimidazole, MeIm, 99.9%), thiophenol (99%), 4-bromothiophenol (99%), 4-methylthiophenol (99%), 4-methoxythiophenol (99%), 5-chloro-1-methylimidazole (98%), diphenyl disulfide (99%), and deuterated acetonitrile (acetonitrile-d₃, 99.8%) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. A natural sample of the mineral zincite (mined from Poland) was obtained from a private seller. Standard air-free Schlenk techniques were used. Powders were used as received.

MoS₂ powder was purchased from Sigma Aldrich and dried at 80 °C overnight under vacuum before use. n‐butyllithium (2.0 m) in cyclohexane, n‐hexane (anhydrous, 95 %), cyclohexane, ethanol, isopropanol, thiophenol, toluene, 4‐bromothiophenol (95 %), 4‐isopropylthiophenol (95 %), p‐nitrothiophenol (80 %), mercaptoanisol (97 %), 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid (90 %), and 4‐aminothiophenol (97 %) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich and used as received.