Oxidation of Disulfides to Taurine and Sulfanilic Acid Derivatives

Taurine(2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a representative substructurein biologically active compounds, but can raise difficulties in direct couplingreactions. In this study, the synthesis of taurine-derived sulfonic acidsand analogous aromatic sulfonicacids was accomplished by a performic acidpromoted oxidation of corresponding symmetrical disulfide precursors. In some of the products, the taurineor sulfanilic acidnitrogen atom is incorporated in a heterocyclic scaffold or part of a peptide bondin dipeptide mimetics.