Sulfones are versatile intermediates in organic synthesis and important building blocks in the construction of biological active molecules or functional materials. This review provides a summary of recent developments in the synthesis of sulfones. 1 Introduction 2 Classical Methods and Variants 2.1 Oxidation of Sulfides 2.2 Aromatic Sulfonylation 2.3 Alkylation/Arylation of Sulfinates 2.4 Addition to Alkenes and Alkynes 2.5 Miscellaneous Methods 3 Metal-Catalyzed Coupling Reactions 4 Sulfone Synthesis by C–H Functionalization 5 Sulfur Dioxide Based Three-Component Approaches 6 Biological Synthesis of Sulfones 7 Conclusion

Sulfones play a pivotal role in modern organic chemistry. They are highly versatile building blocks and find various applications as drugs, agrochemicals, or functional materials. Therefore, sustainable access to this class of molecules is of great interest. Herein, the goal was to provide a summary on recent developments in the field of sustainable sulfone synthesis. Advances and existing limitations in traditional approaches towards sulfones were reviewed on selected examples. Furthermore, novel emerging technologies for a more sustainable sulfone synthesis and future directions were discussed.