Conversion of Carboxylic Acids to Sulfonamide Bioisosteres via Energy Transfer Photocatalysis

More than 450 drugs containing a carboxylic acid functional group have been marketed worldwide. Herein, we report a concise and environmentally friendly organic photoinduced protocol for the interconversion of carboxylic acids into their bioisosteres. With this strategy, a variety of substrates, including alkyl, (hetero)aryl, and alkenyl acids, as well as various biologically relevant acids are successfully converted into primary sulfonamides.