One-pot synthesis of diaryl sulfonamides using an iron and copper catalyzed aryl C–H amidation process

Abstract

A one-pot, two-stage synthesis of diaryl sulfonamides using sequential iron and copper catalysis has been developed. Regioselective para-iodination of activated arenes by the super Lewis acid, iron triflimide and N-iodosuccinimide (NIS), was followed by a copper(I)-catalyzed N-arylation reaction. The process was found to be applicable for the coupling of a range of anisoles, anilines and acetanilides with primary sulfonamides and was used for the one-pot synthesis of biologically important compounds.