The selective electrochemical C—H sulfonylation of alkenes with selenium sulfonate was disclosed. Aerobic trifunctionalization of alkenes occurred by simply changing the conditions, which provides diverse β-keto selenosulfones.

Comprehensive Summary

The selective oxidative sulfonylation of alkenes with selenium sulfonate depended on the reaction conditions. The electrochemical C—H sulfonylation proceeded smoothly to afford (E)-vinyl sulfones with good selectivity in an undivided cell without external oxidant. While aerobic trifunctionalization of alkenes occurred in the presence of KI in the air, which provides β-keto selenosulfones via the formation of C—O, C—S, and C—Se bonds in one-pot. Following control experiments, a plausible mechanism is proposed to rationalize the experimental results.