Electrophilic fluorosulfoxonium cations as hidden Brønsted acid catalysts in (n + 2) annulations of strained cycloalkanes†
Abstract
The highly electrophilic fluorosulfoxonium cation [Ph2S(O)F]+[B(C6F5)4]− is shown to promote (n + 2) annulation on donor–acceptor (D–A) strained cycles. This study highlights new reactions catalysed by highly electrophilic sulfoxonium cations and the thin barrier between Lewis acid catalysis and Brønsted acid catalysis.