Bismuth(III) bromide-catalysed substitution of benzyl alcohols with arylsulfonylmethyl isocyanides: An unexpected access to sulfinates

A bismuth(III) bromide-catalysed direct substitution of benzyl alcohols with arylsulfonylmethyl isocyanides affords sulfinates under mild acidic conditions. An unforeseen reversed reactivity was observed in this highly selective formation of sulfinates instead of the formation of the usually favoured sulfones. Cytotoxicity tests (in vitro) indicated that the sulfinates exhibit antibiotic activity against a human leukaemia cell line HL-60, which would widen the structural diversity of this antitumour target and confirm the perspectives of further investigations.