Oxidation of disulfides with electrophilic halogenating reagents: concise methods for preparation of thiosulfonates and sulfonyl halides

Abstract The reaction of aromatic or benzylic disulfides with 2.5 equiv of Selectfluor™ in acetonitrile/water (10:1) at room temperature efficiently produced the corresponding thiosulfonates. Conversely, the reaction of disulfides with 6.5 equiv of Selectfluor™ or thiosulfonates with 4.5 equiv of Selectfluor™ in refluxing acetonitrile/water (10:1) provided sulfonyl fluorides in high yields. Accufluor™ and FP-T300™ are also effective in preparing sulfonyl fluorides from disulfides under the similar reaction conditions. Sulfonyl chlorides or sulfonyl bromides were effectively obtained from the reaction of disulfides with 6 equiv of either N -chlorosuccinimide or N -bromosuccinimide in acetonitrile/water (10:1) at room temperature. Some other electrophilic chlorinating or brominating reagents are also able to be used instead of N -chlorosuccinimide or N -bromosuccinimide for the syntheses of sulfonyl halides from disulfides. These reactions of disulfides with electrophilic halogenating reagents are convenient methods to prepare thiosulfonates and sulfonyl halides.