Isomerisation of Vinyl Sulfones for the Stereoselective Synthesis of Vinyl Azides

A bioactive sprite: Recent advances in the application of vinyl sulfones in drug design and organic synthesis

Vinyl sulfones, with their exceptional chemical properties, are known as the "chameleons" of organic synthesis and are widely used in the preparation of various sulfur-containing structures. However, their most alluring feature lies in their biological activity. The vinyl sulfone skeleton is ubiquitous in natural products and drug molecules and boasts a unique molecular structure and drug activity when compared to conventional drug molecules. As a result, vinyl sulfones have been extensively studied, playing a critical role in organic synthesis and pharmaceutical chemistry. In this review, we present a comprehensive analysis of the recent applications of vinyl sulfone structures in drug design, biology, and chemical synthesis. Furthermore, we explore the prospects of vinyl sulfones in diverse fields, offering insight into their potential future applications.

Nickel-Catalyzed Direct Sulfonylation of Styrenes and Unactivated Aliphatic Alkenes with Sulfonyl Chlorides

A nickel-catalyzed direct sulfonylation of alkenes with sulfonyl chlorides has been developed using 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione as the ligand. Unactivated alkenes and styrenes including 1,1-, 1,2-disubstituted alkenes can be subjected to the protocol, and a wide range of vinyl sulfones was obtained in high to excellent yields with good functional group compatibility. Notably, the process did not allow the desulfonylation of sulfonyl chloride or chlorosulfonylation of alkenes. Radical-trapping experiment supported that a sulfonyl free-radical was likely produced and triggered subsequent transformation in the process.

Visible-light-induced bifunctionalisation of (homo)propargylic amines with CO2 and arylsulfinates

An unprecedented carboxylative sulfonylation of (homo)propargyl amines with CO2 and sodium arylsulfinates under visible light irradiation has been developed with high efficiency. This ruthenium-catalysed photochemical protocol offers broad substrate scope giving 2-oxazolidinones and 2-oxazinones bearing alkyl sulfones in good yields under ambient reaction conditions. An in situ double bond isomerisation occurs in tandem. A mechanistic rationale for these radical-initiated carboxylative cyclisations involving sulfinyl radicals is presented, supported by control and quenching experiments.

Reduction of Substituted Benzo-Fused Cyclic Sulfonamides with Mg-MeOH: An Experimental and Computational Study

A study involving the use of Mg-MeOH for the double reductive cleavage of both N–S and C–S bonds in a series of 11 benzo-fused cyclic sulfonamides is reported. Examples where the sulfonamide nitrogen atom is part of a pyrrolidine ring effectively undergo reduction, as long as a methoxy substituent is not para-positioned in the aromatic ring, relative to the sulfonyl group. In contrast, if the nitrogen atom is contained within an aromatic ring (pyrrole or indole), the presence of a para-methoxy substituent does not prohibit reduction. If deuterated methanol is used, aromatic ortho-deuterium incorporation was observed. To better understand how structure affects reactivity, density functional theory calculations were performed using three functionals. Results using CAM-B3LYP were found to best correlate with experimental observations, and these demonstrate the impact that the different aromatic substitution patterns and types of N-atom have on the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies and adiabatic electron affinities.

Taming the reactivity of alkyl azides by intramolecular hydrogen bonding: site-selective conjugation of unhindered diazides

The intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the α-azido secondary acetamides (α-AzSAs) enabled site-selective integration onto the diazide modular hubs even without steric hindrance.