Combinatorial synthesis and biological evaluations of ( E )-β-trifluoromethyl vinylsulfones as antitumor agents.

Combinatorial synthesis of ( E )-β-trifluoromethyl vinylsulfones is accomplished through a reaction of alkynes, Togni reagent, and sodium benzenesulfinates in DMSO under metal-free conditions at room temperature. These compounds are evaluated in several assays against different tumor cells. Some hits are identified against ES-2, HO-8910, and K562.