Direct Assembly of Polysubstituted Furans via C(sp³)−H Bond Functionalization by Using Dimethyl Sulfoxide as a Dual Synthon

An unusual I 2 ‐mediated triple C( sp 3 )−H functionalization reaction between aryl methyl ketones and dimethyl sulfoxide to form polysubstituted furans has been developed. In this transformation, dimethyl sulfoxide functions as a dual synthon via C( sp 3 )−H functionalization with formation of two C−C bonds, one C−O bond, and one C−S bond in a one‐step process. Iodine is crucial as promoter of the reaction, by which a number of ketones could be converted easily into 2,4,5‐trisubstituted furans. This provides an extremely simple and expeditious approach to high‐value‐added, biologically significant O‐heterocycles. Based on preliminary experiments, a plausible mechanism is proposed. magnified image