Catalyst-Free Difunctionalization of Activated Alkenes in Water: Efficient Synthesis of β-Keto Sulfides and Sulfones

Abstract

Difunctionalization of activated alkenes, a powerful strategy in chemical synthesis, has been accomplished for direct synthesis of a series of β-keto sulfides and β-keto sulfones. The transformation, mediated by O2 , proceeds smoothly in water and without any catalyst. Prominent advantages of this method include mild reaction conditions, purification simplicity, and gram-scale synthesis, underlining the practical utility of this methodology.

Keywords: aerobic oxidation; alkenes; ketones; sulfides; water.