Cu/Zn-Catalyzed Synthesis of ε-Keto Sulfones from Cyclopropanols

ε-Keto sulfones, which are useful building blocks in organic chemistry and drug discovery, motivated us to develop a new protocol for their synthesis from cyclopropanols via Cu/Zn-cocatalyzed ring-opening conjugate addition to vinyl sulfones. cis-2-Amino-1,2-diphenyl-ethanol is disclosed as an effective ligand to promote this transformation. Moreover, other Michael acceptors, including benzylidene malononitrile, maleimide, and α,β-unsaturated ketones or esters, are also compatible with the protocol.