Thiazole and thiadiazole 5-oxides

Papers dealing with this topic are exhaustively reviewed in Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry I (84CHEC-I(6)235) and II (96CHEC-II(3)373). Nevertheless, little information is available on the 5-oxides. Recently, the heteroaromaticity of thiazole compared with isothiazole and thiadiazole 5,5-dioxide systems was studied (97MI1). Quantum-chemical calculations and X-ray studies were performed on 3,3 -di[l,3-thiazolidin-4-one] derivatives (95JCC(25)589) studied for their potential biological activity (97FA(52)43). 

Thiophene-1-oxide and 1 -substituted thiophenium salts present reduced aromaticity.144 A variety of aromaticity criteria were used in order to assess which of the 1,1-dioxide isomers of thiophene, thiazole, isothiazole, and thiadiazole was the most delocalized (Scheme 46).145 The relative aromaticity of those molecules is determined by the proximity of the nitrogen atoms to the sulfur, which actually accounts for its ability to participate in a push-pull system with the oxygen atoms of the sulfone moiety. The relative aromaticity decreases in the series isothiazole-1,1-dioxide (97) > thiazole-1,1 -dioxide (98) > thiophene-1-dioxide (99) then, one has the series 1,2,5 -thiadiazole-1,1 -dioxide (100) > 1, 2,4-thiadiaz-ole-1,1-dioxide (101) > 1,2,3-thiadiazole-1,1 -dioxide (102) > 1,3,4-thiadiazole-l,1-dioxide (103) in the order of decreasing aromaticity. As 1,2,5-thiadiazole-1,1-dioxide (100) was not synthesized, the approximations used extrapolations of data obtained for its 3,4-dimethyl-substituted analogue 104 (Scheme 46). 

The oxidation of thiazoles by peroxy acids leads to the corresponding A-oxides. Peracetic, MCPBA, permaleic, and trifluoroperacetic acid have been employed for this reaction. Chemical yields range from 4% to 50%, the more basic thiazoles producing higher yields. Thus, thiazole, 2,4-dimethyl- and 4,5-dimethylthiazoles, and 2-phenylthiazole can be oxidized in moderate to good yields. However, neither 4-chloro-2-phenylthiazole nor 5-chloro-2-phenylthiazole could be oxidized. 3-Oxides were also obtained by oxidation of 1,2,3-thiadiazoles and 5-phenylthiatriazole (121—>122) (75T1783). 

In contrast to thiazoles, certain isothiazoles and benzisothiazoles have been directly oxidized to sulfoxides and sulfones. 4,5-Diphenyl-l,2,3-thiadiazole is converted by peracid into the trioxide (146). Although 1,2,5-thiadiazole 1,1-dioxides are known, they cannot be prepared in good yield by direct oxidation, which usually gives sulfate ion analogous to the results obtained with 1,2,4- and 1,3,4-thiadiazoles (68AHC 9)107). 

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