Transition metal-free C(sp)-H selenation of β-ketosulfones.

The installation of selenium groups has become an essential step across a number of industries such as agrochemicals, drug discovery, and materials. However, direct C(sp)-H selenation, which is most atom economical, remains a formidable challenge, and only a few examples have been reported to date. In this article, we introduce the transition metal-free C(sp)-H selenation with the easily available β-ketosulfones and diselenides as the material source.

Synthesis of α/β-Aromatic Peroxy Thiols Mediated by Iodine Source.

Peroxygenated compounds have wide applications in various fields, including chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, medicine, and materials science. However, there is still a need for more efficient and environmentally friendly synthesis methods for such compounds. Herein, we investigated the two-step, one-pot, regioselective synthesis of α/β-aromatic peroxy thiols.

Photoredox aerobic oxidative cycliation of -arylacrylamides with benzylalcohols.

While the radical coupling/cyclization of -arylacrylamides has been well established for the synthesis of functionalized oxindoles, in the present work, a visible-light-induced aerobic oxidative coupling/cyclization reaction of -arylacrylamides with benzylalcohols has been developed. The combination of LiBr and benzophenone as the additive was found to be highly effective to enhance the catalytic efficacy. This protocol offers a mild alternative access to structurally valuable hydroxyalkyl oxindoles.

A visible-light-induced thiol addition/aerobic oxidation cascade reaction of epoxides and thiols for the synthesis of β-hydroxylsulfoxides.

A photochemical thiol addition/aerobic oxidation cascade reaction has been developed. This protocol enables efficient oxidative coupling of epoxides and thiols to access structurally valuable β-hydroxylsulfoxides. A broad range of functional groups are compatible to obtain moderate to good yields of the target products.