Process for producing aryl alpha-haloalkyl sulfones

摘要

A process for preparing alkenes by reaction of various sulfone substrates with carbon tetrahalide in the presence of a strong base. The reactions are accelerated by the presence of a polar compound. Sulfone carbanions attack the carbon tetrahalide to produce an alpha -halogenated intermediate and a dihalocarbene. alpha -Halosulfones having alpha ' hydrogens are converted to alkenes in situ via the Ramberg-Backland reaction. Sulfones having alpha but no alpha ' hydrogens are simply alpha -halogenated. The dihalocarbene generated in the reaction may attack the product, solvent, or another substrate to form other products. Alkenes produced by reaction of carbon tetrahalides with di-sec-alkyl sulfones are readily attacked by dihalocarbene to form the alkene-dihalocarbene adduct (a substituted 1,1-dihalocyclopropane).