Sulfur imidations: access to sulfimides and sulfoximines

Abstract

Being mono-aza analogues of sulfoxides and sulfones, sulfimides and sulfoximines, respectively, are important compounds in asymmetric synthesis, crop protection and medicinal chemistry. For their preparation various methods have been developed. In the search for the optimal synthetic approach for a given target compound, several parameters have to be considered which also include safety issues and availability of starting materials. In this tutorial review, we present an overview of sulfur imidation methods, classified by imidating agents and compounds with a related behaviour. The aim of this survey is to provide a practical “tool box” for the synthetic chemist by mapping the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of these compounds.