Sulfides, alkyl mechanism

Figure 13.18 S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), a source of 5 -deoxyadenosyl radicals. SAM binds to the subsite iron (in blue) of the reduced [4Fe-4S] cluster via its a-aminocarboxylate group. The 5 -deoxyadenosine radical is formed by electron transfer which occurs either (a) by outer-sphere mechanism or (b) by p-sulfide alkylation followed by homolytic cleavage of the 5 -S-CH2Ado bond. In both cases, methionine is released. (From Fontecave et al., 2004. Copyright 2004, with permission from Elsevier.)...

Relationship to Electron Transfer Mechanisms. The inter-molecular reactions of dialkyl or alkyl aryl sulfides with tert-butvl perbenzoates have been shown by Pryor and Hendrickson (31) to give only a small amount (0.7 - 3.5 ) of scavengeable radical product. The rates of disappearance of the perbenzoates are strongly accelerated by addition of the sulfides. The mechanism which has been postulated involves an electron transfer from sulfur to the peroxide and kinetic isotope effect data have been presented in support of this mechanistic postulate (32). 

Electrophilic attack on the sulfur atom of thiiranes by alkyl halides does not give thiiranium salts but rather products derived from attack of the halide ion on the intermediate cyclic salt (B-81MI50602). Treatment of a s-2,3-dimethylthiirane with methyl iodide yields cis-2-butene by two possible mechanisms (Scheme 31). A stereoselective isomerization of alkenes is accomplished by conversion to a thiirane of opposite stereochemistry followed by desulfurization by methyl iodide (75TL2709). Treatment of thiiranes with alkyl chlorides and bromides gives 2-chloro- or 2-bromo-ethyl sulfides (Scheme 32). Intramolecular alkylation of the sulfur atom of a thiirane may occur if the geometry is favorable the intermediate sulfonium ions are unstable to nucleophilic attack and rearrangement may occur (Scheme 33). 

Many 3-substituted indoles have also been prepared with the use of a-alkyl or a-aryl-p-keto sulfides. Thus indolization of aniline 5 with 3-methylthio-2-butanone 27 furnished indolenine 28, presumably via the same mechanism discussed earlier. The indolenine 28 was relatively unstable and reduced to the indole 29 without purification. Tetrahydrocarbazole 32 was prepared in 58% overall yield. Smith et al. made excellent use of the Gassman process in the total synthesis of (-i-)-paspalicine and (+)-paspalinine. ... 

Treatment of a thiol with a base, such as NaH, gives the corresponding thiolate ion (RS-), which undergoes reaction with a primary or secondary alkyl halide to give a sulfide. The reaction occurs by an Sn2 mechanism, analogous to the Williamson synthesis of ethers (Section 18.2). Thiolate anions are among... 

Examples of the intermolecular C-P bond formation by means of radical phosphonation and phosphination have been achieved by reaction of aryl halides with trialkyl phosphites and chlorodiphenylphosphine, respectively, in the presence of (TMSlsSiH under standard radical conditions. The phosphonation reaction (Reaction 71) worked well either under UV irradiation at room temperature or in refluxing toluene. The radical phosphina-tion (Reaction 72) required pyridine in boiling benzene for 20 h. Phosphinated products were handled as phosphine sulfides. Scheme 15 shows the reaction mechanism for the phosphination procedure that involves in situ formation of tetraphenylbiphosphine. This approach has also been extended to the phosphination of alkyl halides and sequential radical cyclization/phosphination reaction. ... 

These profiles clearly show that in the gas phase the alkylations of both ammonia and water by o-QM are assisted by an additional water molecule H-bonded to o-QM (water-catalyzed mechanism), since S4 and S5 TSs are favored over their uncatalyzed counterparts (SI and S2) by 5.6 and4.0 kcal/mol [at the B3LYP/6-311 + G(d,p) level], respectively. In contrast, the reaction with hydrogen sulfide in the gas phase shows a slight preference for a direct alkylation without water assistance (by 0.8 kcal/mol). 

Extended irradiation of the diethyl dithioacetal 44 increases the yield of L-fucitol (46) at the expense of 1-S-ethyl-l-thio-D-galactitol (45) also galactitol (52) was isolated from the photolysis mixture.109 The intermediacy of 45 in the formation of 46, a possibility that was suggested by the extended photolysis of 44, is supported by the observation that irradiation of 45 in methanol produces L-fucitol (46) in 44% yield.109 (Compounds 47 and 52 also are formed during irradiation of 45, but in low yield.) The mechanism for sulfide photoreaction parallels that109 for the alkyl dithioacetals (see Scheme 18). 

Kice et al., 1967). The kinetics of the acid- and sulfide-catalyzed reaction of thiolsulfinates with sulfinic acids show that its mechanism involves a rate-determining nucleophilic attack of the alkyl sulfide on the protonated... 

If an unsaturated trapping agent is not present, however, things get really complicated. First, the sulfenic acid RSOH formed in (57) can form thiolsulfinate RS(0)SR and water (24). If the initial thiolsulfinate is an un-symmetrical one, RS(0)SR, this will mean that the symmetrical thiolsulfinate RS(0)SR will begin to appear in the reaction mixture. Second, in some way, perhaps aided by reaction of some of the water formed in (24) with thiolsulfinate, traces of acid become present in the solution. This acid catalyzes a complex disproportionation of alkyl thiolsulfinates that parallels in a number of important aspects the mechanism of the acid- and sulfide-catalyzed disproportionation of aryl thiolsulfinates already discussed. The steps that are important in this disproportionation are shown in (61)—(66). 

Alkyl sulfides are not the only nucleophiles that can catalyze the hydrolysis of sulfinyl sulfones. The various halide ions, thiocyanate ion, acetate ion, and thiourea, are very effective catalysts (Kice and Guaraldi, 1968). The mechanism for the hydrolysis as catalyzed by these nucleophiles is shown in... 

The oxidation of alkyl aryl sulfides to sulfoxides with oxochromium(V) complexes is first order in oxidant and in substrate. The better correlation of log k with a+ rather than a and the low magnitude of p+ value (-1.19) were interpreted as evidence for a rate-determining single-electron-transfer mechanism. This was further supported by good correlation in the plots of log k versus oxidation potential/ionization energy. 

In Studying asymmetric oxidation of methyl p-tolyl sulfide, employing Ti(OPr-/)4 as catalyst and optically active alkyl hydroperoxides as oxidants, Adam and coworkers collected experimental evidence on the occurrence of the coordination of the sulfoxide to the metal center. Therefore, also in this case the incursion of the nucleophilic oxygen transfer as a mechanism can be invoked. The authors also used thianthrene 5-oxide as a mechanistic probe to prove the nucleophilic character of the oxidant. 

Thioethers (sulfides) can be prepared by treatment of alkyl halides with salts of thiols (thiolate ions).7S2 R may be alkyl or aryl. As in 0-35, RX cannot be a tertiary halide, and sulfuric and sulfonic esters can be used instead of halides. As in the Williamson reaction (0-12), yields are improved by phase-transfer catalysis.753 Instead of RS ions, thiols themselves can be used, if the reaction is run in benzene in the presence of DBU (p. 1023).754 Neopentyl bromide was converted to Me3CCH2SPh in good yield by treatment with PhS in liquid NH3 at -33°C under the influence of light.755 This probably takes place by an SrnI mechanism (see p. 648). Vinylic sulfides can be prepared by treating vinylic bromides with PhS in the presence of a nickel complex,756 and with R3SnPh in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4.757 R can be tertiary if an alcohol is the substrate, e.g,758... 

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