Visible light promoted synthesis of N-aroylsulfoximines by oxidative C-H acylation of NH-sulfoximines

The visible light-promoted synthesis of N-aroylsulfoximines has been accomplished via an oxidative dehydrogenative coupling at room temperature under air without the addition of a photosensitizer, metal catalyst, or base. This process exhibits good functional group tolerance, allows facile isolation and purification, and affords N-aroylsulfoximines with high efficiency. The efficiency of the newly developed protocol is described in detail with 27 examples with yields ranging from 80% to 96%. Furthermore, the chirality of the NH-sulfoximine is completely maintained in the desired N-aroylsulfoximine product (<99% ee).