Symmetric Diarylsulfoxides as Asymmetric Sulfinylating Reagents for Dialkylmagnesium Compounds

At -78 degrees C, primary dialkylmagnesium compounds reacted with diarylsulfoxides when 1.5 equiv of the dilithium salt of (S)-BINOL was added as a promotor. Alkyl aryl sulfoxides resulted in up to quantitative yield and with up to 97% ee. This demonstrates the feasibility of asymmetric sulfinylations by achiral sulfinylating agents (from the perspective of Alkyl(2)Mg) as well as the feasibility of asymmetric sulfoxidemagnesium exchanges (from the perspective of Ar2SO).