Mild and general method for the synthesis of sulfonamides

Reaction of methyl sulfinates with lithium amides followed by 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid oxidation of the resulting sulfinamides provides primary, secondary, and tertiary alkane-, arene- and heteroarenesulfonamides in high yields. This constitutes a mild and facile experimental protocol that avoids the use of hazardous, unstable, or volatile reagents and does not affect the configurational stability of the amines.