Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Growing Magnetotactic Bacteria of the Genus Magnetospirillum: Strains MSR-1, AMB-1 and MS-1
Published on: October 17, 2018
1-Bromoethene-1-sulfonyl fluoride (BESF) is another good connective hub for SuFEx click chemistry
Christopher J Smedley1, Marie-Claire Giel1, Andrew Molino1
1La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia. j.moses@latrobe.edu.au.
Abstract:
We demonstrate 1,2-dibromoethane-1-sulfonyl fluoride (DESF) as a bench-stable and readily accessible precursor to the robust SuFEx connector, 1-bromoethene-1-sulfonyl fluoride (BESF). The in situ generation of BESF from DESF opens up several new reaction profiles, including application in the syntheses of unprecedented 3-substituted isoxazole-5-sulfonyl fluorides, 1-substituted-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-sulfonyl fluorides, 2-amino-1-bromoethane-1-sulfonyl fluorides and 4-bromo-β-sultams in good to excellent yields. These new modules comprise a pendant sulfonyl fluoride handle, which further undergoes facile and selective SuFEx reactions with a selection of aryl silyl ethers to generate stable and useful sulfonate connections.
Related Concept Videos
SN1 Reaction: Stereochemistry
In the first step of an SN1 reaction, the bond between the electrophilic carbon and the leaving group ionizes to generate the carbocation intermediate. The second step of the mechanism is the nucleophilic attack.
In the formed carbocation, the positively charged carbon is sp2 hybridized with a trigonal planar geometry. As all the three substituents lie on the same plane, a plane of symmetry for the...
SN1 Reaction: Kinetics
However, Sir Christopher Ingold and Edward D. Hughes, who studied the kinetics of various nucleophilic substitution reactions, noticed that a tertiary alkyl halide does undergo a nucleophilic substitution reaction in the presence of a weak nucleophile. While studying the substitution...
SN1 Reaction: Mechanism
Firstly, the haloalkane ionizes to generate a carbocation intermediate and a halide ion. This heterolytic cleavage is highly endothermic with large activation energy. The ionization of the substrate, facilitated by a...
Acidity of 1-Alkynes
The acidic strength of hydrocarbons follows the order: Alkynes > Alkenes > Alkanes. The strength of an acid is commonly expressed in units of pKa — the lower the pKa, the stronger the acid. Among the hydrocarbons, terminal alkynes have lower pKa values and are, therefore, more acidic. For example, the pKa values for ethane, ethene, and acetylene are 51, 44, and 25, respectively, as shown here.
Predicting Products: SN1 vs. SN2
With increased substitution on the alkyl halide,...
Preparation of 1° Amines: Gabriel Synthesis
Strong bases like NaOH or KOH deprotonate the phthalimide to form the corresponding anion, which acts as a nucleophile. Further, the anion attacks an...

