Visible Light as the Key for the Formation of Carbon–Sulfur Bonds in Sulfones, Thioethers, and Sulfonamides: An Update

Abstract This review summarizes the most relevant advancements made in the photocatalyzed synthesis of sulfones, thioethers, and sulfonamides from 2017 to the beginning of 2021. Synthetic strategies towards the construction of sulfur–carbon bonds are discussed together with the proposed reaction mechanisms. Interestingly, sulfur-based functional groups, which are of fundamental importance for the pharmaceutical field, can be assembled by photocatalysis in an easy and straightforward way under milder reaction conditions employing less toxic and expensive sulfur sources in comparison with common strategies. 1 Introduction 2 Sulfones 2.1 Sodium Sulfinates and Sulfinic Acids 2.2 Sulfonyl Halides 2.3 Sulfonyl Hydrazones 2.4 Sulfur Dioxide Surrogates 2.5 Miscellaneous 3 Thioethers 4 Sulfonamides 5 Conclusions