Ethyl glyoxylate N-tosylhydrazone as sulfonyl-transfer reagent in base-catalyzed sulfa-Michael reactions.

Ethyl glyoxylate N-tosylhydrazone has been identified as an excellent sulfonyl anion surrogate in the DBU-catalyzed conjugate addition reaction with enones and enals for the synthesis of functionalized sulfones. The reaction proceeds under base-catalyzed conditions and provides a direct access to γ-keto- and γ-hydroxy sulfones in a simple and reliable way through a sulfa-Michael reaction that proceeds with high yield and chemoselectivity.