Allylic C-S Bond Construction through Metal-Free Direct Nitroalkene Sulfonation

A metal-free, open-flask protocol was developed for the preparation of allylic sulfones through direct condensation of sodium arylsulfinates and β,β-disubstituted nitroalkenes. The key step of this process was the Lewis base-promoted equilibrium between nitroalkenes and allylic nitro compounds. Through this process, the readily available conjugated nitroalkenes can be easily converted into allylic nitro compounds, which contain more reactive C═C bonds toward the sulfonyl radical addition. As a result, allylic sulfones were prepared in excellent yields with a broad substrate scope under mild conditions.