Aerobic oxysulfonylation of alkynes in aqueous media: highly selective access to β-keto sulfones

The first application of inexpensive commercially available sulfinate salts to produce β-keto sulfones directly from alkynes via aerobic oxysulfonylation has been developed. It is a highly selective (undesired Glaser-Hay homo-coupling and ATRA process totally suppressed) general method of functionalization of alkynes on water at room temperature involving FeCl3/K2S2O8 catalyzed formation of sulfonyl radicals from sulfinate salts.