AlCl catalyzed coupling of N-benzylic sulfonamides with 2-substituted cyanoacetates through carbon-nitrogen bond cleavage.

A new cross-coupling reaction of N-benzylic sulfonamides with 2-substituted cyanoacetates for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzylbenzene was reported. In the presence of AlCl, a broad range of N-benzylic sulfonamides reacted smoothly with 2-substituted cyanoacetates to afford structurally diverse benzylbenzenes in moderate to excellent yields. The conversion could be enlarged to gram-scale efficiently.