Sulfone, benzyl phenyl lithium salt

The few examples indicate that sulfone-stabilized carbanions should react normally with electrophilic animating reagents (Eqs. 145158 and 146465) with the caveat that free a-amino sulfones are unstable.158,465 The (3,y-unsaturated sulfone 74 is animated at the y-position (Eq. 147),250 presumably by an ene reaction. The preparation of a-tosyl azides from nitronates was shown above in Eq. 144. The scope of this reaction does not seem to have been determined. Reaction of the anions of nitrobenzyl aryl sulfones with l-oxa-2-azaspiro[2.5]octane (13a) gives nitrobenzaldehydes by cleavage of the initially formed amination products.466 Similarly, reaction of the lithium salt of benzyl phenyl sulfone with phenyl azide gives benzilydeneaniline and phenyl sulfinate.467 No reports on animations of sulfoxide-stabilized carbanions were found. 

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