Synthesis of Allylic Sulfones via Generation of Metal Π‐Allyl Complexes in Metal‐Catalyzed Sulfonylation

Allyl sulfones are common motifs in many drugs and natural products, exhibiting a wide range of biological activities such as anticancer and antibacterial properties, etc. An overview is provided on the synthesis of allylic sulfones via generation of metal π‐allyl complexes in metal‐catalyzed sulfonylation over the period from 2020 to the present. The generation process of metal π‐allyl complexes is introduced from the perspective of reaction mechanism and the reaction processes such as nucleophilic substitution, insertion of SO 2 , and reductive elimination involving metal π‐allyl complexes is discussed. In order to effectively organize this study, several metal π‐allyl intermediates will be reviewed and can be divided into i) generation of palladium π‐allyl complexes in palladium‐catalyzed sulfonylation and ii) generation of other metal π‐allyl complexes in other metal‐catalyzed sulfonylation.