Synthesis 2015; 47(08): 1101-1108
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1380129
paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Metal-Free Direct N-Benzylation of Sulfonamides with Benzyl Alcohols by Employing Boron Trifluoride–Diethyl Ether Complex

Jing Pan
a   School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, P. R. of China   Email: xiong@cqu.edu.cn
,
Jia-qiang Li
a   School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, P. R. of China   Email: xiong@cqu.edu.cn
,
Ruo-feng Huang
a   School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, P. R. of China   Email: xiong@cqu.edu.cn
,
Xiao-hui Zhang
a   School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, P. R. of China   Email: xiong@cqu.edu.cn
,
Hang Shen
a   School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, P. R. of China   Email: xiong@cqu.edu.cn
,
Yan Xiong*
a   School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, P. R. of China   Email: xiong@cqu.edu.cn
b   Chongqing Key Laboratory of Chemical Process for Clean Energy and Resource Utilization, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P. R. of China
,
Xiang-ming Zhu
c   UCD School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 10 November 2014

Accepted after revision: 30 December 2014

Publication Date:
10 February 2015 (online)


Abstract

N-Benzylation of sulfonamides with both primary and secondary benzyl alcohols by employing boron trifluoride–diethyl ether complex under mild reaction conditions has been developed, which is an environmentally benign and facile protocol for assembling a series of primary and secondary benzyl sulfonamides in yields up to 83%. In this coupling reaction, the beneficial role of water has been clarified in detail through control experiments.

Supporting Information