Electrochemical sulfonylation with sulfur dioxide: a sustainable strategy for organic synthesis

Abstract

The utilization of organic electrochemical methods to achieve efficient and green conversion and fixation of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) has become a highly attractive research direction in the field of organic synthetic chemistry. The combination of organic electrosynthesis with SO₂ reactions provides an innovative pathway for transforming an environmental burden into high-value-added chemicals. This review primarily introduces value-added compounds such as sulfonate esters, sulfonamides, and sulfonyl fluorides obtained from SO₂ or SO₂ surrogates under electrochemical conditions. It systematically summarizes advances in using SO₂ as a core synthon for constructing C–S bonds in organic electrochemical reactions, differentiating various reaction types, elucidating their underlying mechanisms, and discussing potential applications.