A New Route to Thio- and Selenosulfonates from Disulfides and Diselenides. Application to the Synthesis of New Thio- and Selenoesters of Triflic Acid.

Alkyl and aryl trifluoromethanethiosulfonates(1) (or selenosulfonates) were prepared in one step either from alkyl and aryl sulfenyl (or selenenyl) chlorides and sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate (3) or, more generally, from disulfides (or diselenides), 3, and bromine. The second method involved trifluoromethanesulfonyl bromide as key intermediate. Benzenethiosulfonates were obtained in a similar way from disulfides, benzenesulfinate, and bromine but benzeneselenosulfonates could not be obtained by the same method from diselenides.