Copper-catalyzed aerobic decarboxylative sulfonylation of cinnamic acids with sodium sulfinates: stereospecific synthesis of (E)-alkenyl sulfones.

A copper-catalyzed aerobic decarboxylative sulfonylation of alkenyl carboxylic acids with sodium sulfinates is developed. This study offers a new and expedient strategy for stereoselective synthesis of (E)-alkenyl sulfones that are widely present in biologically active natural products and therapeutic agents. Moreover, the transformation is proposed to proceed via a radical process and exhibits a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance.