Recent Advances in the Catalytic Transformations to Access Alkylsulfonyl Fluorides as SuFEx Click Hubs

The search for new and efficient methods to access sulfonyl fluorides is of considerable research interest owing to the widespread application of these molecules in different fields. In this context, sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) click chemistry is emerging as one of the most prominent such methods. The development of competent new catalytic methodologies for preparing alkylsulfonyl fluorides has become an area of special interest in organic synthesis. Compared with the substantial progress already made in the synthesis of arylsulfonyl fluorides, approaches for preparing aliphatic sulfonyl fluorides remain less explored. In this review, we summarize recent advances in four different strategies for synthesizing alkylsulfonyl fluorides: (i) photoredox catalysis, (ii) electrocatalysis, (iii) transition-metal catalysis, and (iv) organocatalysis. These reactions result in different sulfonyl fluorides that can act as bioactive molecules and building blocks suitable for further SuFEx transformation.