Olefin skeletal rearrangement enabling access to multiarylated N -sulfonyl amidines.

A base-promoted olefin skeletal rearrangement strategy from para -quinone methides ( p -QMs) and N -fluoroarenesulfonamides is reported, enabling direct nitrogen insertion of olefins to produce a series of multiarylated ( Z )- N -sulfonyl amidines with complete stereoselectivity and generally good yields. Using p -QMs without o -hydroxy substituents gave triarylated N -sulfonyl amidines, whereas tetraarylated N , N '-disulfonyl amidines were synthesized with the existence of o -hydroxy groups.