Dehydroxylative Sulfonylation of Alcohols

Described here is the R3P/ICH2CH2I-promoted dehydroxylative sulfonylation of alcohols with a variety of sulfinates. In contrast to previous dehydroxylative sulfonylation methods, which are usually limited to active alcohols, such as benzyl, allyl, and propargyl alcohols, our protocol can be extended to both active and inactive alcohols (alkyl alcohols). Various sulfonyl groups can be incorporated, such as CF3SO2 and HCF2SO2, which are fluorinated groups of interest in pharmaceutical chemistry and the installation of which has received increasing attention. Notably, all reagents are cheap and widely available, and moderate to high yields were obtained within 15 min of reaction time.

Automated summary

Described here is a dehydroxylative sulfonylation method using R3P/ICH2CH2I as a promoter to convert alcohols into sulfonyl compounds. Unlike previous methods that are limited to active alcohols, our protocol can be applied to both active and inactive alcohols (alkyl alcohols). Various sulfonyl groups, including CF3SO2 and HCF2SO2, can be incorporated, which are of interest in pharmaceutical chemistry. The reaction is completed within 15 minutes, and the reagents used are cheap and readily available.