Rapid N-Trifluoromethylsulfinylation of Sulfoximines in Batch and Flow

Sulfoximines are privileged motifs in medicinal chemistry, and direct installation of the -SOCF₃ group on these scaffolds remains challenging. Herein, we report an Et₃N-catalyzed N-trifluoromethylsulfinylation of sulfoximines using the bench-stable reagent N-trifluoromethylsulfinylphthalimide under mild conditions. The process furnishes N-trifluoromethylsulfinylated sulfoximines in moderate to excellent yields and features a broad scope with high functional-group tolerance. Notably, phthalimide is formed as a valuable, readily recoverable coproduct, enabling a waste-minimized and sustainable process. Translation to a continuous-flow microreactor enables ultrafast reactivity with a residence time of only 6 s, delivering products in up to 86% yield. Mechanistic studies, gram-scale experiments, and structurally complex bioactive molecules further underscore the synthetic and practical utility of this transformation.