AN ALTERNATIVE SYNTHESIS OF CHLORINATED BIPHENYL METHYLSULFONYL METABOLITES

Published methods of synthesizing chlorinated biphenyl methylsulfones require the separation of a complex mixture of impurities and isomers using both normal and reverse phase HPLC. Even with semi-preparative s cale equipment, the process is tedious and time-consuming. In this rep ort, the palladium-catalyzed addition of an aryl iodide to an aryl tri methylstannane has been exploited to produce these compounds in high p urity (greater than or equal to 99%) using conventional techniques of purification. The reaction has been demonstrated for a group of methyl sulfonyl CBs representing 0 to 3 ortho-chlorine interactions between t he biphenyl rings and with the methylsulfonyl group at either the 3- o r 4-position.