Catalytic transformations of sulfur dioxide into organic sulfur compounds

The applications of catalytic transformations of SO₂ into sulfur-containing organic compounds, reported in the literature, are briefly reviewed. The authors' studies in this field of chemistry,viz., the hydrosulfination of alkenes, the synthesis of γ-oxo sulfonesvia hydrosulfination, and the synthesis of aromatic sulfinic acids from diazonium salts, are summarized. Current results on the synthesis of the new sulfinato complex Pd(SO₂Ph)(Cl)dppp] and its hydrogenation to PhSO₂H are presented, and a mechanism for the catalytic synthesis of sulfinic acids is proposed. The structure of (Pd(μ-Cl)(dppp)l₂ ²⁺(SO₄)^2?·4SO₂ salt is studied by X-ray diffraction analysis.