Vicarious nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen versus vinylic substitution of halogen in the reactions of carbanions of halomethyl aryl sulfones with dialkyl halofumarates and halomaleates

Reaction of halomethyl aryl sulfone carbanions with dialkyl halofumarates and halomaleates results in nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen and/or of the halogen. The reaction with halofumarates proceeds via addition of the carbanions to the vinylic carbon atom connected with hydrogen, followed by base promoted β-elimination of hydrogen halide in which the halogen originates from the carbanion moiety or from the alkene. In the case of halomaleates the reaction proceeds via an elimination–addition sequence.