Acidity of thiols

In this section, we discuss the acidity of thiols and their reaction with strong bases, such as sodium hydroxide, and with molecular oxygen. 

These authors showed that the rate of oxidation depends on the acidity of thiol and a correlation between the estimated of them and the energy of activation was suggested (Table 3). 

Acidity of Thiols (Section 10.9F) Thiols are weak acids, 10-11, but considerably stronger than alcohols, 15.5-18. 

Sulfur has more diffuse orbitals than does oxygen. In thiols, the S-H bond is less polarized than the O-H bond in alcohols, thus leading to diminished hydrogen bonding. Because the S-H bond is also weaker than the O-H bond, the acidity of thiols is greater than that of alcohols. 

A major difference between alcohols and thiols concerns their oxidation We have seen earlier m this chapter that oxidation of alcohols gives compounds having carbonyl groups Analogous oxidation of thiols to compounds with C=S functions does not occur Only sulfur is oxidized not carbon and compounds containing sulfur m various oxida tion states are possible These include a series of acids classified as sulfemc sulfimc and sulfonic according to the number of oxygens attached to sulfur... 

Of these the most important are the sulfonic acids In general however sulfonic acids are not prepared by oxidation of thiols Arenesulfomc acids (ArS03H) for example are prepared by sulfonation of arenes (Section 12 4)... 

Salts of thiols (170) or of sulfinic acids (171) react like the alkoxides, giving 4-alkylthio- or 4-alkylsulfono-substituted butyrates. Alkali cyanides give 4-cyanobutyrates (172), hydroxylamine gives a hydroxamic acid (173), and hydra2ine a hydra2ide (174). 

Disulfides. As shown in Figure 4, the and h-chains of insulin are connected by two disulfide bridges and there is an intrachain cycHc disulfide link on the -chain (see Insulin and other antidiabetic drugs). Vasopressin [9034-50-8] and oxytocin [50-56-6] also contain disulfide links (48). Oxidation of thiols to disulfides and reduction of the latter back to thiols are quite common and important in biological systems, eg, cysteine to cystine or reduced Hpoic acid to oxidized Hpoic acid. Many enzymes depend on free SH groups for activation—deactivation reactions. The oxidation—reduction of glutathione (Glu-Cys-Gly) depends on the sulfhydryl group from cysteine. 

General Reaction Chemistry of Sulfonic Acids. Sulfonic acids may be used to produce sulfonic acid esters, which are derived from epoxides, olefins, alkynes, aHenes, and ketenes, as shown in Figure 1 (10). Sulfonic acids may be converted to sulfonamides via reaction with an amine in the presence of phosphoms oxychloride [10025-87-3] POCl (H)- Because sulfonic acids are generally not converted directiy to sulfonamides, the reaction most likely involves a sulfonyl chloride intermediate. Phosphoms pentachlotide [10026-13-8] and phosphoms pentabromide [7789-69-7] can be used to convert sulfonic acids to the corresponding sulfonyl haUdes (12,13). The conversion may also be accompHshed by continuous electrolysis of thiols or disulfides in the presence of aqueous HCl [7647-01-0] (14) or by direct sulfonation with chlorosulfuric acid. Sulfonyl fluorides are typically prepared by direct sulfonation with fluorosulfutic acid [7789-21-17, or by reaction of the sulfonic acid or sulfonate with fluorosulfutic acid. Halogenation of sulfonic acids, which avoids production of a sulfonyl haUde, can be achieved under oxidative halogenation conditions (15). 

Acid-Gatalyzed Synthesis. The acid-catalysed reaction of alkenes with hydrogen sulfide to prepare thiols can be accompHshed using a strong acid (sulfuric or phosphoric acid) catalyst. Thiols can also be prepared continuously over a variety of soHd acid catalysts, such as seoHtes, sulfonic acid-containing resin catalysts, or aluminas (22). The continuous process is utilised commercially to manufacture the more important thiols (23,24). The acid-catalysed reaction is commonly classed as a Markownikoff addition. Examples of two important industrial processes are 2-methyl-2-propanethiol and 2-propanethiol, given in equations 1 and 2, respectively. 

Alkyl sulfonic acids are prepared by the oxidation of thiols (36,37). This reaction is not quite as simple as would initially appear, because the reaction does not readily go to completion. The use of strong oxidants can result in the complete oxidation of the thiol to carbon dioxide, water, and sulfur dioxide. 

The effect of pH and the piC of the thiol has been discussed. This reaction is not of great synthetic interest, primarily because it yields a mixture of products, but it is of commercial consequence. It is also appHcable ia polysulfide synthesis, where the presence of small amounts of thiols can cause significant problems for the stabiUty of the polysulfide (51). A similar reaction between thiols and sulfides has also been described (52). In this instance, the process is heterogenous and acid-cataly2ed. 

The principal impetus behind the synthesis of thiols came from the need to produce synthetic mbber in the early 1940s. These mbbers, styrene—butadiene mbbers (SBRs), were produced by many companies at that time. Originally, 1-dodecanethiol was utilized, but the most important thiol became / fZ-dodecanethiol, which was made from propylene tetramer, using an acid-catalyzed process (54,55). 

The succinimide derivative (234) can be used in peptide synthesis for conversion of amino acids into their succinimide esters (235 Scheme 41) (79CL1265). 3-Substituted mercapto-1,2-benzisothiazole 1,1-dioxides (236) have been recommended as an odourless means of storage of thiols. The latter are readily regenerated by the action of piperidine (81CL1457). 

Me3Si)2NH, Me3SiCl, Pyr, 20°, 5 min, 100% yield. ROH is a carbohydrate. Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) is one of the most common sily-lating agents and readily silylates alcohols, acids, amines, thiols, phenols, hydroxamic acids, amides, thioamides, sulfonamides, phosphoric amides, phosphites, hydrazines, and enolizable ketones. It works best in the presence of a catalyst such as X-NH-Y, where at least one of the group X or Y is electron-withdrawing. ... 

Potassium carbonate (anhydrous). Has a moderate efficiency and capacity, forming the dihydrate. Suitable for an initial drying of alcohols, bases, esters, ketones and nitriles by shaking with them, then filtering off. Also suitable for salting out water-soluble alcohols, amines and ketones. Unsuitable for acids, phenols, thiols and other acidic substances. 

The most convenient route to S-nitrosothiol formation is the nitrosation of thiols by nitrous acid (Eq. 9.13). 

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