A Redox-neutral Nickel-catalysed Sulfonylation of (Hetero)aryl Boronic Acids with 2-Chlorothiazoles

Graphical An efficient nickel-catalysed sulfonylation of readily available boronic acids, K 2 S 2 O 5 and 2-chlorobenzothiazoles has been successfully developed for the synthesis of structurally diverse (hetero)aryl sulfones without additional bases. A redox-neutral nickel-catalysed sulfonylation for arylsulfone synthesis was developed. (Hetero)aryl boronic acids reacted with potassium metabisulfite (K 2 S 2 O 5 ) and readily available 2-chlorothiazoles in the presence of air-stable Ni(OTf) 2 and 4,4-di- tert -butyl bipyridine (dtbpy) as a commercially available ligand to produce the corresponding 2-sulfonylthiazoles in moderate to excellent yields. This practical protocol tolerates a wide range of substrates including boronic acids and 2-chloro(benzo)thiazoles without additional bases, allowing the direct synthesis of functional arylsulfones.