Asymmetric synthesis of β-hydroxy sulfones by reduction of chiral β-keto sulfones

Dioxygen concentration-dependent selective hydroxysulfonylation of olefins by rose bengal-sensitized photocatalysis

The synthesis of β-hydroxysulfones selectively in preference to β-ketosulfones by dye-sensitized photocatalysis is demonstrated by employing inexpensive and readily available olefins and sulfonyl hydrazides/N-hydroxy sulfonamides in the presence of oxygen. The facile hydroxysulfonylation reaction, which involves the use of rose bengal (RB) as a photocatalyst and dioxygen as an oxidant, permits access selectively to secondary and tertiary β-hydroxysulfones in good to excellent isolated yields at rt and is compatible with aryl, heteroaryl and alkyl sulfonyl hydrazides. Mechanistically, sulfonyl radicals are generated by a cascade of redox reactions, set off by the photocatalyst RB, between sulfonyl hydrazide and dioxygen. Attack of the sulfonyl radicals on olefins followed by oxygenation of the radical intermediates leads to hydroxysulfonylation products selectively without the requirement of a metal catalyst/additive/reductant/base, conforming to the tenets of sustainable chemistry. It is shown that the formations of β-hydroxysulfones and β-ketosulfones proceed concurrently through two different routes and that the outcome is crucially dependent on oxygen concentration with the former being formed predominantly under an oxygen atmosphere, a feature that is heretofore unprecedented to the best of our knowledge.

Hydroxysulfonylation of alkenes: an update

The direct difunctionalization of inexpensive and widely available alkenes has been recognized as a strong and straightforward tool for the rapid fabrication of complex molecules and pharmaceutical targets by introducing two different functional groups on adjacent carbon atoms of common alkene moieties in a single operation. This synthetic strategy avoids the purification and isolation of the intermediates and thus makes synthetic schemes shorter, simpler and cleaner. In this family of reactions, the hydroxysulfonylation of alkenes has emerged as an increasingly promising strategy for the synthesis of β-hydroxysulfones, which are found in many biologically important molecules and widespread applications in organic synthesis. The objective of this review is to illustrate the advancements in the field of hydroxysulfonylation of alkenes with special emphasis on the mechanistic details of the reaction pathways.

The direct difunctionalization of alkenes recognized as a straightforward tool for the rapid fabrication of complex molecules and pharmaceutical targets by introducing two different functional groups on adjacent carbon atoms of common alkene moieties.

Recent Progress on the Synthesis of Chiral Sulfones

Chiral sulfones extensively exist in drugs, agricultural chemicals, chiral organic intermediates, and functional materials. Their importance causes the rapid development of their synthetic methods in recent years. Many transition metal complex catalysts with chiral ligands and chiral organocatalysts are adopted in synthesis of chiral sulfones. Most of the methods to construct chiral sulfones are based on the reduction of unsaturated sulfones and the introduction of sulfone groups into unsaturated hydrocarbons. This review describes all classes of asymmetric reactions for synthesis of chiral sulfones.

Temperature-dependent synthesis of vinyl sulfones and β-hydroxy sulfones from t-butylsulfinamide and alkenes under aerobic conditions

A novel strategy was developed for the synthesis of organic sulfones using t-butylsulfinamide as a sulfur source.

One-Pot Synthesis of β-Hydroxysulfones and Its Application in the Preparation of Anticancer Drug Bicalutamide

An efficient one-pot multistep strategy has been developed, comprising auto-oxidative difunctionalization of alkenes, oxidation of sulfides, and a further reduction of peroxides for the synthesis of complex β-hydroxysulfone derivatives from phenthiols and alkenes. This method has several advantageous characteristics, including readily available substrates, low-cost and environmental benign reagents, nontoxic and renewable solvents, and mild reaction conditions. The application of this transformation to the multigram-scale preparation of the anticancer drug bicalutamide is accomplished.

One-pot synthesis of optically pure β-hydroxy sulfones via a heterogeneous ruthenium/diamine-promoted nucleophilic substitution-asymmetric transfer hydrogenation tandem process

Chiral ruthenium/diamine-functionalized mesoporous silica is synthesized and its application in the one-pot synthesis of chiral β-hydroxy sulfones is investigated.

Copper(i)-mediated synthesis of β-hydroxysulfones from styrenes and sulfonylhydrazides: an electrochemical mechanistic study

Copper(i) halides were used as mediators in the synthesis of β-hydroxysulfones via the oxysulfonylation of styrenes using sulfonylhydrazides.

Molecular-iodine-catalyzed aerobic oxidative synthesis of β-hydroxy sulfones from alkenes

The synthesis of β-hydroxy sulfones from alkenes and sodium sulfinates under aerobic oxidative conditions was achieved in the presence of a catalytic amount of molecular iodine.

Asymmetric Synthesis of β-Hydroxy Sulfides Controlled by Remote Sulfoxides

Reactions of (S)-alpha-(methylthio)-2-(p-tolylsulfinyl)benzyl carbanion with different carbonyl compounds proceeds with complete control of the configuration at the benzylic position. Aldehydes yield easily separable mixtures of beta-hydroxy sulfides, epimers at the hydroxylic carbon, where the stereoselectivity depends on steric factors (from 20% to >98% de).