Asymmetric S‐Arylation of Sulfenamides to Access Axially Chiral Sulfilimines Enabled by Anionic Stereogenic‐at‐Cobalt(III) Complexes

Abstract

An efficient enantioselective coupling reaction between sulfenamides and cyclic diaryliodonium salts is established via adaptive Cu/anionic stereogenic‐at‐Co(III) complex combined catalysis, precisely synthesizing a broad range of axially chiral sulfilimines with excellent enantioselectivities, diastereoselectivities, regioselectivities, and chemoselectivities (67 examples under same conditions, up to 98% ee). The following thermodynamically controlled pyramidal inversion enables efficient stereodivegent synthesis of all four stereoisomers. Mechanistic studies suggest that anionic stereogenic‐at‐cobalt(III) complexes serve as counteranions of diaryliodonium and anionic ligand of Cu(I) catalyst simultaneously, which could be regarded as an explanation for outstanding selectivities.