Iodine-Mediated Difunctionalization of Imidazopyridines with Sodium Sulfinates: Synthesis of Sulfones and Sulfides

Novel iodine-induced sulfonylation and sulfenylation of imidazopyridines have been described using sodium sulfinates as the sulfur source. This strategy enables highly selective difunctionalization of imidazo­[1,2-a]­pyridine to access sulfones and sulfides in good yields. A wide range of substrates and functional groups were well-tolerated under optimized conditions. Moreover, control experiments have been conducted, indicating a radical pathway involved in the reaction mechanisms.