Copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of sulfonyl azides with alkynes to synthesize N-sulfonyltriazoles 'on water' at room temperature

We have developed a green and practical method for the Huisgen cycloaddition of water-insoluble sulfonyl azides with alkynes 'on water' at room temperature under catalysis of the inexpensive catalyst system CuX/PhSMe, and addition of the ligand (thioanisole) greatly inhibited cleavage of the N-1-N-2 bond in the 5-cuprated N-sulfonyltriazole intermediates to amides and improved the yields of N-sulfonyltriazoles.