Description:
<jats:p>Diethyl 2-nitro-(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzylphosphonates, available by the vicarious nucleophilic substitution reaction of <jats:italic>meta-</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>para-</jats:italic>nitro-(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzenes and diethyl chloromethylphosphonate, undergo Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction with aldehydes in the presence of potassium hydroxide in acetonitrile at ambient temperature to give (<jats:italic>E</jats:italic>)-2-nitro-1-alkenyl-(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzenes in good yields and high stereoselectivities. Follow-up transformations of the primary products provided (<jats:italic>E</jats:italic>)-1-alkenyl-(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzenes and 2-(2-arylethyl)-(pentafluorosulfanyl)anilines.</jats:p>