Efficient synthesis and characterisation of a series of aryl benzyl NH-sulfoximines are described. While N-protected versions of aryl benzyl sulfoximines have been previously described, reports of their de-protection are very limited, presumably due to lability under the typically harsh deprotection conditions which can be employed with the less reactive aryl alkyl derivatives. Use of N-cyanosulfoximines as key intermediates overcomes these difficulties leading to an effective synthetic route to these compounds. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.