Reaction of hydrophilic epoxides (ethylene oxide and propylene oxide) with readily accessible zinc sulfinates in aqueous solution under essentially neutral conditions afforded β-hydroxy sulfones in good yields. This method avoids the need for organic solvents and produces ZnO as the only major reaction byproduct. 2-(Methylsulfonyl) ethanol, a common reagent for the protection of various functional groups, was obtained by this methodology ...
