Heterogeneous HCPs-Cu were readily prepared by using direct knitting strategy, which enabled a general photocatalytic method for sulfonylation of aryl halides with sodium sulfinates. Besides the remarkably broad substrate scope (43 examples), and a moderate reusability (10 times) were proved.

Abstract

A general method for photosulfonylation of aryl halides with sodium sulfinates was successfully developed by using reusable copper-containing hyper-cross-linked polymers (HCPs-Cu). These heterogeneous catalysts were easily prepared from molecular BINAP/Cu(MeCN)₄PF₆ complex (BINAP-Cu) with different amounts of benzene and formaldehyde dimethyl acetal (FDA) via direct knitting strategy, and the Cu center was uniformly dispersed in the matrices of HCPs-Cu, featuring the same coordination environment to that of molecular BINAP-Cu. This photosulfonylation system not only tolerates a wide range of substrates to furnish aryl sulfones, showing a potential in the synthesis of several drugs, but also highlights a moderate recyclability of 10 runs with minimal loss of catalytic activity.