Electroreduction of β-hydroxy phenyl sulfones in acetonitrile

The electroreduction of β-hydroxy γ,δ-unsaturated sulfones did not lead to the formation of a double bond between the α and β carbons, but a certain β-hydroxy γ,δ-unsaturated sulfone (3bA) in the absence of proton donors gave a cyclohexenol derivative. This compound was derived from fission of a carbon–carbon bond between α- and β-positions followed by recombination of the two fragments in the tandem Michael and aldol reactions.