Mechanism of EnT-mediated amino-sulfonylation of alkenes with <i>N</i>-sulfonyl ketimine: a DFT investigation

The sulfonylamination of alkenes using <i>N</i>-sulfonyl ketimines has previously been established as an efficient and straightforward strategy for synthesizing β-amino sulfone derivatives. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to elucidate the free energy profiles of the plausible reaction pathways. Additionally, the local electrophilic index, percent buried volume around the spin-centered atom (% <i>V</i> _bur), and maximum spin density were analyzed to provide insights into the stability differences between the generated iminyl and tosyl radicals. This work aims to enhance the understanding of the reaction mechanism underlying this alkene amino-sulfonylation process and to guide the design of novel bifunctional reagents.