Additive Pummerer reaction of heteroaromatic sulfilimines with carbon nucleophiles

The additive Pummerer reaction of several heteroaromatic sulfilimines has been investigated. The overall process involves the reaction of the sulfilimine with TFAA to produce a transient N-tosyl-N-trifluoroacetyl sulfonium ion. Nucleophilic attack at the adjacent vinyl carbon results in the ejection of the sulfonamide group and the resulting thionium ion loses a proton to give the observed product.