Ni-Catalyzed Mild Synthesis of Sulfonylurea via Tandem Coupling of Sulfonyl Azide, Isocyanide, and Water

An efficient, mild, and novel route is developed to synthesize sulfonylurea via the nickel-catalyzed tandem coupling of sulfonyl azide, isocyanide, and water in aqueous media. The sulfonyl azide is expected to act as a nitrene precursor, which upon reaction with isocyanide generates carbodiimide. Herein, water acts as a nucleophile and reacts with carbodiimide to deliver the product. The protocol uses an inexpensive nickel catalyst, environmentally friendly water (as the nucleophile), and room temperature and provides products in moderate to good yields.

Automated summary

An efficient, mild, and novel route for synthesizing sulfonylurea via nickel-catalyzed tandem coupling of sulfonyl azide, isocyanide, and water in aqueous media is presented. Sulfonyl azide acts as a nitrene precursor, reacting with isocyanide to generate carbodiimide. Water then acts as a nucleophile, reacting with carbodiimide to yield the product. The protocol utilizes an inexpensive nickel catalyst, environmentally friendly water (as the nucleophile), and operates at room temperature, providing moderate to good yields.