Nitrile sulfides, 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with nitriles

Examples of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrile sulfides (124) onto thioketones have been reported272 (equation 133). 124 were generated by thermal decomposition of 1,3,4-oxathiazol-2-ones (123) which, in turn, may be prepared bearing a wide variety of substituents R1. Thermolyses were carried out in the presence of the dipolarophile which traps the transient nitrile sulfide, with the formation of 5//-l,4,2-dithiazoles 125. Regioi-someric 1,2,3-dithiazole products were not observed. 

Type G syntheses are typified by the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of nitrile sulfides with nitriles. Nitrile sulfides are reactive 1,3-dipoles and they are prepared as intermediates by the thermolysis of 5-substituted-l,3,4-oxathiazol-2-ones 102. The use of nitriles as dipolarophiles has resulted in a general method for the synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted-l,2,4-thiadiazoles 103 (Scheme 11). The thermolysis is performed at 190°C with an excess of the nitrile. The yields are moderate, but are satisfactory when aromatic nitrile sulfides interact with electrophilic nitriles. A common side reaction results from the decomposition of the nitrile sulfide to give a nitrile and sulfur. This nitrile then reacts with the nitrile sulfide to yield symmetrical 1,2,4-thiadiazoles <2004HOU277>. Excellent yields have been obtained when tosyl cyanide has been used as the acceptor molecule <1993JHC357>. 

An alternative route to C-linked derivatives involves the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrile sulfides with nitriles which yields 3,5-disubstituted-l,2,4-thiadiazoles of unequivocal structure (see Section 5.08.9.8). 

Azolines of type (13) undergo thermal decomposition in an analogous way to that already discussed for azolones (see Section 4.14.5.2) (Scheme 19). Path (i) is followed by those azolines having Z = S and path (ii) by those with Z = O. Path (i) is a typical retro-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition process, via an intermediate nitrile sulfide, while path (ii) might involve an acyl (Y = Z = O) or thioacyl (Y = S, Z = O) nitrene intermediate (136), which in turn rearranges to iso(thio)cyanate. However, no systematic attempts to trap this possible nitrene intermediate seem to have been made, and so a concerted pathway for the fragmantation cannot be ruled out. 

As reported before (see Section 4.14.6.1, Scheme 19), thermolysis of oxathiazolines (169) proceeds via a retro 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to produce the carbonyl compound and the nitrile sulfide intermediate. Trapping reactions have been carried out with DMAD, ECF (ethyl cyano formate), and benzonitrile to give respectively isothiazoles (170) and thiadiazoles (171) and (172). However in two particular cases (R = 4-MeOC6H4, 4-ClCgH4, thermolysis in the presence of benzonitrile gives (172) and the thiadiazole (173) in very low yields. It has been suggested that the latter arises... 

The mechanism of the decomposition reaction of 5-methoxy- 1,2,3,4-thiatriazole to dinitrogen sulfide and methoxy-nitrile was studied by the DFT method at the CCSD(T)//MP2/6-31+G level of theory <2003JOC6049>. The calculations indicated that this is a concerted retro-[2+3]-dipolar cycloaddition process with an activation energy of 28.9 kcal mol 1 and a reaction energy of 1.9 kcal mol. This unimolecular decomposition is favored due to the entropy gain (25.8 eu) involved in the overall reaction (Scheme 1 and Table 2). 

Nitrile sulfides are well suited for the synthesis of isothiazoles incorporating the C=N-S unit via their 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions with double or triple-bonded dipolarophiles. Benzonitrile sulfide 210 is readily prepared from decarboxylation of oxathiazolone 209 using microwave irradiation <05SC807>. Subsequent cycloadditions to dimethyl acetylene-dicarboxylate (DMAD) and dimethyl fumarate afford 211 and 212, respectively. In the case of ethyl propiolate, a 1 1 regioisomeric mixture of phenylisothiazoles 213 and 214 is obtained. 

The 1,3-dipolar systems involved in the cycloaddition reaction with cumulenes include azides, nitrile oxides, nitrile imines, nitrones, azomethine imines and diazo compounds. However, some 1,3-dipolar systems are also generated in the reaction of precursors with catalysts. Examples include the reaction of alkylene oxides, alkylene sulfldes and alkylene carbonates with heterocumulenes. Carbon cumulenes also participate as 1,3-dipols in [3+2] cycloaddifion reactions. Examples include thiocarbonyl sulfides, R2C=S=S, and l-aza-2-azoniaallenes. 

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