Unexpected Differences in the α-Halogenation and Related Reactivity of Sulfones with Perhaloalkanes in KOH−t-BuOH

Most alkyl phenyl sulfones are readily α-chlorinated with CCl4 and α-brominated with CBrCl3 in KOH−t-BuOH via radical−anion radical pair (RARP) reactions. While isopropyl mesityl sulfone (4) is easily α-chlorinated with CCl4, it was completely recovered when treated with the more reactive CBrCl3. Subsequent investigations showed the latter result to be due to the poor acidity of 4 together with the rapid depletion of CBrCl3 and KOH by their reaction with each other, and led to a variety of other important results. 4-Hydroxyphenyl isopropyl sulfone (6) is unreactive with either CCl4 or CBrCl3 in KOH−t-BuOH, its phenoxide anion strongly reducing the electronegativity of the sulfonyl group, thereby inhibiting α-anion formation. This effect is reversed by the electron-withdrawing influence of two α-phenyls, so that benzhydryl 4-hydroxyphenyl sulfone (8) is readily α-halogenated in KOH−t-BuOH with CCl4 or CBrCl3. On further contact with KOH−t-BuOH the α-halogenated sulfones from 8 are decomposed into benzophenone and phenol. While the α-halogenated derivatives of 4-methoxyphenyl benzhydryl sulfone (9) are stable to base, they are decomposed even under mildly acidic conditions into 4-methoxyphenyl 4-methoxybenzenethiolsulfonate (9c), phenol, and benzophenone. Mono-α-halogenation of benzyl phenyl sulfone (10) enhances the rate of the subsequent halogenation, so that α,α-dihalogenation is attained while much substrate is still present and the mono-α-halogenated product is not detected. The ease of reductive debromination of α-bromo sulfones with Cl3C- was correlated with the stability of the formed α-anions, explaining the success with α-bromobenzylic sulfones but failure with α-bromoalkyl sulfones. In the presence of air and the absence of competing halogenation, formation of the α-anions of alkyl aryl sulfones is quickly accompanied by oxidative cleavage by atmospheric O2, leading to the formation of arenesulfonyl alcohols, arenesulfonyl halides, and haloarenes.