An acid-catalyzed intermolecular sulfenoamination reaction of alkenes is developed with sulfonamides as the nitrogen source and N-sulfanylsuccinimides as the sulfur source. This methodology provides a straightforward and general way to synthesize various β-sulfonylamino sulfides with high regio- and diastereoselectivity. The developed method was coupled with intramolecular C-N coupling in a one-pot procedure to afford a series of dihydrobenzothiazine derivatives, a kind of important heterocycle used as biologically active compounds in medicinal chemistry.

Switchable ortho/ipso-cyclization of N-arylpropynamides induced with N-sulfanylsuccinimides as general sulfur reagents is reported. In the presence of MeOH, para-fluoro N-arylpropynamides exclusively undergo the ipso-cyclization to give 3-sulfenyl azaspiro[4,5]trienones. Two kinds of bioactive heterocycles, benzothieno-[3,2-b]quinoline and -[2,3-c]quinolone, have been directly and efficiently prepared from the corresponding sulfenylated products.

An iodine-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation of -acylamino ketones has been developed for the synthesis of -ketoenamides in moderate to good yields. Only Z-isomers are accessed due to the intramolecular H-bonding interaction in the HI-elimination step.

A simple and efficient metal-free sulfenylation/cyclization of aryl alkynoates has been developed, obtaining various 3-sulfenylated coumarins in moderate to excellent yields. In the presence of BF3·Et2O, the stable and readily accessible N-sulfanylsuccinimides were employed as electrophiles to induce the 6-endo-dig electrophilic cyclization of alkynoates. The reaction using substrates bearing a methoxy group on the phenoxy ring proceeded in an exclusively distinct pathway via either ipso sulfenylcyclization or sulfenylation of the phenoxy ring depending on the different locations of the methoxy substituent. The resulting 3-sulfenylated coumarins can be readily transformed to 3-sulfinylated or 3-sulfonylated coumarins under different oxidation conditions.