Iodine-mediated synthesis of (E)-vinyl sulfones from sodium sulfinates and cinnamic acids in aqueous medium

With water as the reaction medium, a green and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of (E)-vinyl sulfones via I-2-mediated decarboxylative cross-coupling reactions of sodium sulfinates with cinnamic acids. This synthetic route could effectively avoid the use of toxic organic solvents and transition metal catalysts, and the target products could be obtained with moderate to excellent yields under green and mild conditions.