Synthesis of N-Sulfonyl Arylaldimines Developed by Retesting an Old Process

By simply heating the mixture of an arylaldehyde and a sulfonylisocyanate in a solvent or in neat form under catalyst- and additive-free conditions, the desired N-sulfonylimine was produced with the release of carbon dioxide. The method is characterized by its unique clean efficiency, convenience, and scalability, but it was reported to fail half a century ago.