Metal-Free Direct N-Benzylation of Sulfonamides with Benzyl Alcohols by Employing Boron Trifluoride-Diethyl Ether Complex

N-Benzylation of sulfonamides with both primary and secondary benzyl alcohols by employing boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex under mild reaction conditions has been developed, which is an environmentally benign and facile protocol for assembling a series of primary and secondary benzyl sulfonamides in yields up to 83%. In this coupling reaction, the beneficial role of water has been clarified in detail through control experiments.