Catalytic Enantioselective Electrophilic Difunctionalization of Unsaturated Sulfones

An efficient protocol of enantioselective thiolative azidation of sulfone-tethered alkenes via a chiral chalcogenide catalyzed electrophilic reaction is disclosed. A series of enantioenriched sulfones bearing remote stereogenic centers was achieved with good yields and high enantioselectivities with linear unsaturated sulfones and cyclic unsaturated sulfones. Mechanistic studies revealed the importance of the sulfone group in the improvement of the reactivity and enantioselectivity of the reaction.