Carbanions, -sigmatropic rearrangements sulfur-stabilized

The ability of sulfur to stabilize carbanions is exemplified in the following cases. The pentadienyldi-thiocarbamate (144 Scheme 11) can be alkylated at the methylene group to afford the methylated product (145). At 110 C, the dithiocarbamate unit walks its way to the other end of the pentadienyl chain via tandem [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangements. The formation of (14d) is thermodynamically controlled as the more-substituted pentadienyl unit is formed. Dithiocarbamate (146) can be alkylated and eventually transformed into sulfur-free products the sequence giving (148) from (146) is but one of these processes. 

The nucleophilicity of sulfur and its ability to stabilize a-carbanions provide sulfur compounds with unique opportunities for sigmatropic processes consecutive rearrangements are no exception. The formation of salt (140) via Sn2 alkylation of ( )-2-butenyl bromide (139) followed by deprotonation leads to the intermediate allyl vinyl ether (141) which, under the conditions of the deprotonation, undergoes a thio-Claisen rearrangement to afford thioamide (143 Scheme 10). Thermolysis of (143) at elevated temperature affords the Cope product (142) in addition to some of its deconjugated isomer. Several unique characteristics of the thio-Claisen sequence should be noted first, the heteroatom-allyl bond is made in the alkylation step, this connection teing not notrtudly practised in the parent Claisen reaction ... 

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