Cerium(IV)-catalyzed allylic oxidation of 3-sulfolene: An efficient tool for the synthesis of 4-substituted sulfol-2-enes with antiproliferative activity.

Cyclic sulfones play an important role in the field of drug discovery and design due to their valuable properties and their broad range of applications. Herein, we report an efficient cerium(IV)-catalyzed allylic oxidation of a simple 3-sulfolene. This process provides a straightforward and facile approach to sulfol-2-en-4-one, a versatile synthetic intermediate.