Intramolecular, addition Thorpe reaction

The few thiophene syntheses reported in which the formation of the heterocycle is realized on an insoluble support (Entries 1-3, Table 15.10) are based on the intramolecular addition of C,H-acidic compounds to nitriles (Thorpe-Ziegler reaction), or on the Gewald thiophene synthesis. The mechanism of these cyclizations is outlined in Figure 15.6. In thiophene preparations performed on solid phase, the required a-(cya-... 

A library of novel 5-amino-2,7-diaryl-2,3-dihydrobenzo[l)]thiophene-4,6-dicarbonitriles was synthesized by a one-pot domino reaction of 5-aryldihydro-3(2H)-thiophenes, malonitrile, and aromatic aldehydes in the presence of morpholine (13BMCL2101). A mechanism was proposed that involves a sequence of Knovenagel condensation, Michael addition, intramolecular Thorpe-Ziegler cyclization, tautomerization, and elimination. The compounds were evaluated for their AChE (acetylcholinase) activity. The 5-amino-2,7-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydrobenzo[l)] thiophene-4,6-dicarbonitrile was found to be the most potent with IC50 4.16 xmol/L. 

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