BF3 center dot Et2O Promoted Sulfuration of Steroidal Sapogenins

A novel difunctionalization reaction is described. It uses N-trifluoromethylthio-4-nitrophthalimide as the reagent, which serves as both the nitrogen and SCF3 sources. In the presence of DABCO (1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane), the nitrogen and SCF3 groups can be incorporated into α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds easily and give versatile β-amino ketones and esters in good yields. This difunctionalization reaction features mild reaction conditions, high atom-economy, and efficient access to α-SCF3 amino acids.