A Simplified Method for the Preparation of Ethynyl P-Tolyl Sulfone and Ethynyl Phenyl Sulfone

Abstract
Silica gel mediated desilylation of aryl 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl sulfones was found to greatly simplify the synthesis of the acetylenic sulfones, ethynyl ptolyl sulfone 1 and ethynyl phenyl sulfone 2. Each were easily prepared in good yield and high purity on a multigram scale from bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene 3.