Recent progress in the synthesis of sulfonyl fluorides for SuFEx click chemistry

Since the sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange reaction (SuFEx) was introduced by Sharpless and co-workers in 2014, this new-generation click chemistry has emerged as an efficient and reliable tool for creating modular intermolecular connections. Sulfonyl fluorides, one of the most important sulfur(VI) fluoride species, have attracted enormous attention in diverse fields, ranging from organic synthesis and material science, to chemical biology and drug discovery. This review aims to introduce seminal and recent progresses on the synthetic methods of sulfonyl fluorides, which include aromatic, aliphatic, alkenyl, and alkynyl sulfonyl fluorides. While not meant to be exhaustive, the purpose is to give a timely overview and insight in this field, and stimulate the development of more efficient synthetic methods of sulfonyl fluorides. (c) 2021 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The SuFEx reaction introduced in 2014 is an efficient and reliable click chemistry tool for creating modular intermolecular connections, attracting significant attention in various fields. This review focuses on the synthetic methods of sulfonyl fluorides to stimulate the development of more efficient methods in this area.