LAUSR

A novel NaI-catalyzed oxidative amination of sodium sulfinates, employing both ethylene dibromide (EDB) and air as the oxidants, is described. EDB was first demonstrated to be a promising mild organic oxidant that in air, converted NaI into molecular iodine to promote the cross-coupling reactions of aromatic sodium sulfinates with amines to produce arylsulfonamides. Mechanistic studies indicated that a radical pathway might be involved in the reaction process.