Regio- and Enantioselective Rhodium-Catalyzed Sulfonylation of gem-Difluorinated Cyclopropanes

Ring-opening functionalization of gem-difluorinated cyclopropanes (gem-F2CPs) has become a powerful strategy for constructing 2-fluorinated allylic frameworks. However, most prior studies mainly form racemic monofluoroalkenes with linear selectivity. In this study, we report a rhodium-catalyzed highly enantioselective and regioselective sulfonylation of gem-F2CPs with readily available sodium sulfinates. This method represents a general catalytic approach to access enantiomerically enriched 2-fluorinated allylic sulfones, which are valuable structural motifs found in many biologically active molecules. The reported method operates under mild conditions, and the use of bulky Josiphos ligands is crucial, accounting for the delivery of sulfonylated products with good chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivities.