Trifluoromethyl sulfoxides from allylic alcohols and electrophilic SCF3 donor by [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement.

An electrophilic trifluoromethylthiolation of allylic alcohols produces the corresponding allylic trifluoromethanesulfenates, which spontaneously rearrange into trifluoromethyl sulfoxides via a [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. The reaction is straightforward and proceeds in good to high yields for the preparation of various allylic trifluoromethyl sulfoxides.