Sulfoxides from thiols

As discussed previously, treatment of thiolates generated from thiols and MeLi with sterically hindered A -sulfonyl-oxaziridine 116 gave the corresponding sulfenate intermediates which were alkylated to afford sulfoxides 118 (Equation 4) <1997JOC8626, 1999PS(153)381, 2004JOC6916>. Oxidation of thiolates generated from aryl thiols... 

Symmetrical disulfides (73) may be prepared by reaction of alkyl halides with disodium disulfide (Scheme 43). The product is contaminated with triand polysulfides owing to the presence of impurities in the disodium disulfide however, lower members of the series of dialkyl disulfides may be purified by fractional distillation. Disulfides can also be obtained from thiols by mild oxidation, e.g. by treatment with iodine or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (Scheme 44). In the reaction with iodine, the hydriodic acid formed must be removed, otherwise the disulfide is largely reduced back to the thiol by hydriodic acid which is a powerful reducing agent. Pure unsymmetrical disulfides are more difficult to prepare owing to their tendency to undergo disproportionation they can, however, be synthesised from thiols by treatment with imides (see p. 59) or sulfenyl halides (51) (Scheme 45). 

Vinyl chloride reacts with sulfides, thiols, alcohols, and oximes in basic media. Reaction with hydrated sodium sulfide [1313-82-2] in a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide [67-68-5] (DMSO) and potassium hydroxide [1310-58-3], KOH, yields divinyl sulfide [627-51-0] and sulfur-containing heterocycles (27). Various vinyl sulfides can be obtained by reacting vinyl chloride with thiols in the presence of base (28). Vinyl ethers are produced in similar fashion, from the reaction of vinyl chloride with alcohols in the presence of a strong base (29,30). A variety of pyrroles and indoles have also been prepared by reacting vinyl chloride with different ketoximes or oximes in a mixture of DMSO and KOH (31). 

Proherbicides. Thio- and dithiocarbamates probably require metabolic activation prior to exerting their herbicidal effects. Sulfoxide metabolites of the -alkyl thiocarbamates are generally more potent herbicides than the parent compounds ( -5). The herbicidal action of these sulfoxides probably results from their carbamylating action for thiols, although the specific target site or receptor is not defined (23, 24). It is conceivable that the -chloroallyl thiocarbamate herbicides may act in the same way, since their sulfoxides are also potent carbamylating agents... 

Gentle oxidation of thiols generally leads to disulfides. When tetrafluorobenzene-1,4-dithiol is added to dimethyl sulfoxide, it quickly dissolves with warm evolution and a color change of the solution, from which a macrocyclic tetrasulfide 1 precipitates in 95% yield.285... 

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