Transformation of alkyl and aryl halides into alcohols, thiols and thiophenols

Alcohols and thiols are key functionalities which are found in a wide variety of both natural and synthetic bioactive compounds. Additionally, they provide access to an array of other major functional groups, such as aldehydes, ketones, ethers, disulfides and sulfonamides to name but a few. The direct conversion of alkyl and aryl halides constitutes a useful and efficient means of preparing alcohols, thiols and thiophenols. This review summarises the different approaches that have been reported in the literature up to 2026, and includes the application of modern synthetic methods, such as electrochemical and photochemical techniques. In each section, the main features of the different strategies are discussed, while their advantages and disadvantages are captured in high-level summary tables. Accordingly, this review should serve as a useful overview of the current state-of-the-art while also helping to identify gaps for future investigation.