Access to Axially Chiral Vinyl Sulfilimines via Copper‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Radical Relay Trifluoromethyl‐Sulfilimination of Terminal Alkynes
Abstract
Abstract Sulfilimines have garnered increasing attention as valuable scaffolds in drug discovery and asymmetric synthesis. Nevertheless, catalytic enantioselective construction of sulfilimines in both axial and point chirality chemical space remains a substantial challenge. Herein, we report copper‐catalyzed atroposelective sulfilimination of terminal alkynes with sulfenamides via a radical relay mechanism, enabling the direct assembly of axially chiral vinyl sulfilimines with high levels of chemo‐, regio‐, diastereo‐, and enantioselectivity. The success of this strategy hinges on the atroposelective trapping of transient high active vinyl radicals by a chiral Cu–sulfinimidoyl intermediate. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies reveal a novel asymmetric radical sulfilimination mechanism through an enantioselective reductive elimination of a Cu(III) intermediate, thereby establishing a mechanism distinct from outer‐sphere HAT‐initiated radical–radical coupling or S H 2 pathway.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Axial and Atropisomeric Chirality Synthesis
Catalytic C–H Functionalization Methods
Synthesis and Catalytic Reactions
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Angewandte Chemie
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Volume
- 138
- Issue
- 8
- Publication date
- 16 January 2026
- Language
- DE