5 Sulfur Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx)

Abstract

Sulfur Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) click chemistry is a new generation technology for creating stable molecular connections with absolute reliability under metal-free conditions. SuFEx builds upon the fundamental principles of click chemistry by exploiting a unique blend of stability and latent reactivity of high oxidation state sulfur fluoride [e.g., S(VI)] functionalities to forge stable covalent linkages at connective SuFEx hubs. In this review, we focus mainly on the SuFEx hubs, sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2), thionyl tetrafluoride (SOF4), ethenesulfonyl fluoride (ESF), 1-bromoethene-1-sulfonyl fluoride (BESF) and, 2-substituted alkyne-1-sulfonyl fluorides (SASFs). We describe each connector’s unique reactivity and their application to SuFEx click chemistry.