1- Acylamino-4-substituted imidazol-2-ones

In the uncondensed imidazoles the standard method reacts an a-aminocarbonyl compound with a thiocyanate (see Section 4.1 and Table 4.1.1). If a 2-alkylthioimidazole is required directly, one can combine an N-alkyT or A -arylcarbonimidodithioate in refluxing acetic acid with the aminocarbonyl substrate (see Section 4.1 and Scheme 4.1.3). Alternatively, reaction between thiourea and a two-carbon synthon (ot-hydroxy-, a-halogeno-, a-dicarbonyl) leads to imidazoline-2-thiones (see Section 4.3). In sulfuric acid, 3-butynylthiourea cyclizes to 4,5-dimethylimidazolin-2-thione (see Section 2.2.1). 1-Substituted 2-methylthioimidazoles can be made, albeit in rather poor yields, from appropriately substituted 2-azabutadienes (see Section 3.2 and Scheme 3.2.3), and 2-arylthioimidazoles are available in moderate yields from benzyl isocyanides and arylsulfenyl chlorides (see Section 4.2 and Scheme 4.2.12). Ring transformations of 5-amino-2-alkylaminothiazoles and 2-acylamino-5-aminothiazoles may have occasional applications (see Section 6.1.2.7). The ease with which a thiol group or imidazole or benzimidazole can be alkylated, in comparison with the annular nitrogens, usually makes it more convenient to prepare alkylthioimidazoles from the thiols (or thiones). 

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