Sulfones are flexible functional groups that can act as nucleophiles, electrophiles, or even radicals. Changing the reaction conditions can completelya lter the reactivity of as ulfonyl group, and as ar esult, molecules bearing multiple sulfones are versatile building blocks. This Review highlights the unique ability of 1,1-and 1,2-bis(sulfones) to masquerade as av ast array of reactive synthons includingm ethane polyanions, vinyl cations,a nd all-carbond ipoles that would be difficultori mpossible to access directly.Scheme1.Selectedsyntheses and reactions of sulfones.Scheme2.Seminaluse of abis(sulfone) as am ethanedianion equivalent.[a] Prof.
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MinireviewScheme5.Pd-catalyzed allylic alkylation reactionsw ith bis(sulfones) as methylanion equivalents.Scheme6.Mitsunobumethylationfacilitated by ab is(sulfone) nucleophile.Scheme7.Formal methyl conjugate additiont oa,b-unsaturated aldehydes.Scheme8.Formal methyl conjugate additiont oa na,b-unsaturated ketone.Scheme11. Organocatalytic asymmetric allylic alkylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillmanc arbonates with FBSM.Scheme12. Formal asymmetric fluoromethylationofa ldimines.Scheme13. Formal asymmetric fluoromethylationofa ldehydes.Scheme14. Formal fluoromethylconjugate additionst oenals.Scheme15. Formal fluoromethylconjugate addition to enones.Scheme16. Alkylation of FBSM with alcohols and alkyl halides.Scheme17. Differential reactivity of BDT in difficult alkylation reactions.Scheme18. Annulative Mitsunobu reactionswith bis(sulfone) nucleophiles.Scheme19. Macrocyclizationr eactionsf acilitated by bis(sulfones).
Scheme20. Syntheses of insect pheromones facilitated by bis(sulfones).Scheme21. To talsynthesis of (À)-trans-lauthisan.Scheme22. To talsyntheses of constanolactones Aand B.Scheme56. Usingabis(sulfone) to access an ambiphilic carbonyl synthon.Scheme57. Usingabis(sulfone) to access ac arbonyl diradical synthon.Scheme58. Syntheses of (AE)-21-noribogamineand (AE)-ibogamine facilitated by using abis(sulfone) as areplacement for lowmolecular weight olefins.