Sulfones, alkylation thioethers

The reduced basicity of phenothiazine nitrogen requires that even acylation proceed via the anion. The amide (34-2) from the methyl thioether (34-1) can be prepared, for example, by sequential reaction with sodium amide and acetic anhydride. Oxidation of that intermediate with peracid proceeds preferentially on the more electron-rich alkyl thioether to give the sulfone this affords the phenothiazine (34-3) on hydrolysis of the amide. Complex side chains are most conveniently incorporated in a stepwise fashion. The first step in the present sequence involves reaction of (34-3) as its anion with l-bromo-3-chloropropane to give (34-4). The use of that halide with alkylate piperidine-4-carboxamide (34-5) affords the antipsychotic agent metopimazine (34-6) [35]. 

Thioethers (sulfides) can be prepared by treatment of alkyl halides with salts of thiols (thiolate ions). The R group may be alkyl or aryl and organolithium bases can be used to deprotonate the thiol. As in 10-37, RX cannot be a tertiary halide, and sulfuric and sulfonic esters can be used instead of halides. As in the Williamson... 

The most promising tools developed for this sort of analysis are active-site-directed irreversible inhibitors of DUBs. These inhibitors are ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like proteins chemically modified at the C-terminus by an electrophilic moiety such as a Michael acceptor or alkyl halide. The modified ubiquitin can be incubated with a purified DUB or a cell lysate containing DUB activity. Ubiquitin vinyl sul-fone (UbVS) is one such irreversible inhibitor because the vinyl sulfone moiety reacts with the active-site cysteine of the DUB, forming a thioether linkage. The covalent adduct is stable and can be detected in a variety of ways. Labeling of DUBs is specific, as only a DUB active-site cysteine will efficiently react with the vinyl sulfone moiety. 

Although the most important reaction of rednctive carbon-snlfnr bond cleavage involves alkyl phenyl thioethers, arene-catalyzed lithiation has also been studied using other snlfnr-containing componnds, snch as thiols, disnlhdes, snlfoxides and sulfones. 

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... 

Alkyl and aryl sulfides (i.e. thioethers) are readily oxygenated to sulfoxides and sulfones (equation 4), whereas thiol groups can be converted to either disulfides or to sulfonic acids (equation 5). 

The thioether side chains of methionine units in proteins can be oxidized with hydrogen peroxide to the corresponding sulfones (Eq. 3-48). They can also be alkylated, e.g., by CH3I to form R—S+(CH3)2. 

Sulfoxides and sulfones can be prepared on cross-linked polystyrene by oxidation of thioethers. The most commonly used reagent for this purpose is MCPBA in DCM [8,12,32,57,80-82] or dioxane [50,83] (Table 8.6), but other oxidants such as H2O2 in acetic acid [34], oxone (Entry 7, Table 8.6), or oxaziridines [84] have also been used. PEG-bound thioethers have been converted into sulfones by oxidation with MCPBA in DCM [52,54] or with Os04/NMO [85], The oxidation of thioethers to sulfoxides requires careful control of the reaction conditions to prevent the formation of sulfones. Sulfones have also been prepared by S-alkylation of polystyrene-bound sulfi-nates (Entries 8 and 9, Table 8.6), by a-alkylation of sulfones (BuLi, THF, alkyl halide [86]), and by addition of sulfinyl radicals to resin-bound alkenes or alkynes (Entry 11, Table 8.6). 

Diketones react diastereoselectively with the dilithio compounds 475 obtained by the ortho and a-directed metallation of alkyl aryl thioethers and sulfones to give the fra r-thiochroman-3,4-diols and their 1,1-dioxides (Scheme 166) <1998S1098>. o-Bromophenyl sulfones 476 yield the 3,4-disubstituted thiochroman dioxide by a radical cyclization the trans isomer is the predominant or even exclusive product (Equation 160) <1995SL943>. 

Sodium sulfhydride (NaSH) is a much better reagent for the formation of thiols (mercaptans) from alkyl halides than H2S and is used much more often. It is easily prepared by bubbling H2S into an alkaline solution, but hydrosulfide on a supported polymer resin has also been used. " The reaction is most useful for primary halides. Secondary substrates give much lower yields, and the reaction fails completely for tertiary halides because elimination predominates. Sulfuric and sulfonic esters can be used instead of halides. Thioethers (RSR) are often side products. The conversion can also be accomplished under neutral conditions by treatment of a primary halide with F and a tin sulfide, such as PhsSnSSnPhs. An indirect method for the preparation of a thiol is the reaction of an alkyl halide with thiourea to give an isothiuronium salt (119), and subsequent treatment with alkali or a... 

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