According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of making sulfide compounds using Scheme 1 is disclosed. In Scheme 1, X1, X2, and X3 are independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br, and I; Y is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, and I; and R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkynyl, alkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl, wherein R1 and R2 may be further substituted, and wherein R1 is optionally covalently linked to R2 and the reaction is intramolecular. In some embodiments, no catalyst is used in Scheme 1.