An organocatalytic conjugate addition of prochiral 3-fluorinated oxindoles to vinyl sulfones was described for the first time. In the presence of bifunctional tertiary amine-thiourea catalysts, 3-fluoro-3-substituted oxindole adducts were obtained in excellent yields and with high enantiomeric excesses.

Sulfonyl radicals generated from sulfonylhydrazides by the Bu(4)NI-tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) catalysis system underwent addition to a variety of α-methyl styrene derivatives to give the corresponding allylic sulfones. This selective allylic sulfonylation is metal-free, operationally simple, and environmentally friendly.

An improved, Weinreb amide-based, synthesis of anti-trypanosomal lysine-containing vinyl sulfones is described incorporating, as a feature, diversity at the ε-lysine amino group. Members of this family demonstrated moderate to good efficacy as anti-trypanosomal agents and a fluorescent dansyl (19) derivative was used to investigate subcellular localisation of the compound class.

Highly enantio- and diastereoselective organocatalytic Mannich reactions of glycine Schiff bases with N-Boc-protected imines are described. Imines were generated in situ from bench-stable alpha-amido sulfones. Catalysis mediated by a cinchona alkaloid thiourea provided optically active alpha,beta-diamino acid derivatives with up to 99% ee and near-perfect diastereoselection.

The 1,4-addition of a monofluoromethyl nucleophile to a variety of alpha,beta-unsaturated compounds has been achieved under mild conditions using either phosphines or potassium carbonate at room temperature. alpha-Substituted fluoro(phenylsulfonyl)methane easily undergoes Michael addition to alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones, esters, nitriles, sulfones, as well as propynoates at room temperature t...

Photooxidation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (DMDBT) sensitized by N-methylquinolinium tetrafluoborate (NMQ(+)BF4-) has been investigated in O2-saturated acetonitrile solutions. Nearly 100% oxidation of DBT and DMDBT was observed, and the oxidized products are predominantly composed of sulfoxides and sulfones, which are formed via photoinduced electron transfer (ET)...