Trapping Reactions of the Sulfenyl and Sulfinyl Tautomers of Sulfenic Acids.

Sulfenic acids react as both nucleophiles and electrophiles, which may be attributable to interconversion between sulfenyl and sulfinyl tautomers. We demonstrate one-pot trapping of both tautomeric forms of glutathione sulfenic acid by LCMS. The sulfinyl tautomers are characterized by reaction with nucleophilic reagents such as dimedone and cyanide, giving unique products that are analogous to corresponding adducts of aldehydes. Likewise, we show that aldehyde reactive reagents such as silyl enol ethers also react with glutathione sulfenic acid to give products characteristic of both sulfenyl and sulfinyl tautomers.