Visible-Light-Accelerated C-H Sulfinylation of Heteroarenes.

Heteroaromatic sulfoxides are a frequent structural motif in natural products, drugs, catalysts, and materials. We report a metal-free visible-light-accelerated synthesis of heteroaromatic sulfoxides from sulfinamides and peroxodisulfate. The reaction proceeds at room temperature with blue-light irradiation and allows the C-H sulfinylation of electron-rich heteroarenes, such as pyrroles and indoles. An electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism is proposed based on the substrate scope, substitution selectivity, and competition experiments with different nucleophiles.