Regio- and Enantioselective Synthesis of Sulfone-Bearing Quaternary Carbon Stereocenters by Pd-Catalyzed Allylic Substitution

Chiral sulfones are of great importance in medicinal chemistry and chemical synthesis. Efficient methods for preparing enantiomerically enriched sulfone-containing molecules can therefore be of significant value; such methods, however, are uncommon. Herein, we report the first general palladium-catalyzed sulfonylation of vinyl cyclic carbonates with sodium sulfinates. A series of enantiomerically enriched tertiary allylic sulfones were synthesized in good yields with excellent enantiomeric ratios. Both aliphatic- and aryl-substituted vinyl cyclic carbonates are suitable reactants with excellent results. This reaction features broad substrates scope, readily available starting materials, excellent regio- and enantioselectivity, and synthesis of sulfone-bearing quaternary carbon stereocenters. Through the sulfonylation of geranyl derived cyclic carbonate 1 h , we achieve the formal total synthesis of (+)-agelasidine A.