We demonstrate the first application of mechanochemistry to conduct the synthesis of sulfonyl-(thio)ureas, including known anti-diabetic drugs tolbutamide, chlorpropamide and glibenclamide, in good to excellent isolated yields by either stoichiometric base-assisted or copper-catalysed coupling of sulfonamides and iso(thio)cyanates.

In the title compound, [Cd(NCS)(2)(C(11)H(17)N(3))](n), the Cd(II) atom is octa-hedrally coordinated by the N,N',N''-tridentate Schiff base ligand and one terminal thio-cyanate N atom. Two trans-N:S-bridging thio-cyanates complete the N(5)S donor set around the Cd atom. In the crystal, adjacent Cd(II) ions are linked by the thio-cyanate N:S-bridges into polymeric chains along the c axis.

Based on density-functional theory calculations we identify two-dimensional (2D) forms of copper thio-cyanate (CuSCN) and copper seleno-cyanate (CuSeCN). CuSCN is known to crystallize in two three-dimensional polymorphs, the beta wurtzite and the alpha structure, both with tetrahedral bonding networks. Here we find that CuSCN and CuSeCN may be stabilized also in monolayer geometries with SCN or...