Dithionite-Involved Multicomponent Coupling for Alkenyl and Alkyl Tertiary Sulfones

A dithionite-involved multicomponent reaction of redox-active esters and alkenes/alkynes is comprehensively achieved for the construction of alkyl and alkenyl tertiary sulfones. The industrial feedstock sodium dithionite is employed as a sulfur dioxide surrogate and a single-electron reductant to initiate the decarboxylation of redox-active esters. Mechanistic studies further indicated that the transformation underwent a proton trapping process, which was different from the traditional radical trapping pathway.