A facile sulfonylation method enabling direct syntheses of per(2-O-sulfonyl)-β-cyclodextrins

Cs2CO3 was found to efficiently catalyze the reaction of β-cyclodextrin and N-tosylimidazole. Stirring β-cyclodextrin and N-tosylimidazole in 1/1.2 molar ratio in DMF in the presence of catalytic amount of Cs2CO3 at rt for 1.5 h afforded 2A-mono(O-tosyl)-β-cyclodextrin in 32% yield. The 2A,2B-, 2A,2C- and 2A,2D-ditosylates were isolated in ca. 6–7% yields, respectively, when β-cyclodextrin and N-tosylimidazole were used in 1/2.5 molar ratio. The charge of excess (10 equiv) of N-tosylimidazole ensured a one-step direct (protection-free) synthesis of the per(2-O-tosyl)-β-cyclodextrin in 5% isolated yield. N-(m-Nitrobenzenesulfonyl)imidazole even allowed a much faster access to the corresponding persulfonate in only 1 h reaction.