Mechanistic Aspects of the Phosphine-Catalyzed Isomerization of Allenic Sulfones to 2-Arylsulfonyl 1,3-Dienes.

When an allenic sulfone is treated with a phosphine nucleophile and a proton shuttle, an isomerization to a 2-arylsulfonyl 1,3-diene occurs. Mechanistic aspects of the process were investigated leading to the formulation of a mechanism for the reaction. Some further optimization studies of this process are reported.