Thioethers, anion alkylation

Anions of allylic thioethers may also be alkylated with alkyl bromides in high yield. The thioether groups can subsequently be removed by hydrogenolysis (F.W. Sum, 1979). 

The readily available benzotriazolyl derivative of dimethyl sulfide, compound 821, can be alkylated on a-carbon in a stepwise manner to provide (a,a-disubstituted)alkyl thioethers 823 (Scheme 131). Hydrolysis of these thioethers under mild conditions (5% H2S04 at room temperature) furnishes ketones 824 in high yields. The anion derived from mono substituted (benzotriazol-l-yl)methyl thioether 822 adds to butyl acrylate to give intermediate 826 that can be hydrolyzed to y-ketoester 825. In another example of reactivity of a-(benzotriazol-l-yl)alkyl thioethers, treatment of thioether 822 with BunLi followed by phenyl isocyanate converts it into a-ketoanilide 828, via intermediate adduct 827 <1998JOC2110>. 

In contrast with the reactions involving sulphide or hydrogen sulphide anions, aryl alkyl thioethers and unsymmetrical dialkyl thioethers (Table 4.3) are obtained conveniently by the analogous nucleophilic substitution reactions between haloalkanes and aryl or alkylthiols under mildly basic conditions in the presence of a quaternary ammonium salt [9-15] or polymer-supported quaternary ammonium salt [16]. Dimethyl carbonate is a very effective agent in the formation of methyl thioethers (4.1.4.B) [17]. 

Trifluoromethyl thioethers are produced in a fluoride-catalysed one-pot reaction of alkyl or aryl thiocyanates with trifluoromethyl silanes [37]. The reaction is initiated by fluoride ion displacement of the trifluoromethyl anion from the silane the thioether is formed from the thiocyanate by displacement by the trifluoromethyl anion of the cyanide ion, which then perpetuates the reaction. Trifluoromethyl selenoethers are obtained by an analogous route. In a similar manner, disulphides can be converted into trifluoromethyl thio- or selenoethers [38],... 

In a one-pot synthesis of thioethers, starting from potassium 0-alkyl dithiocarbonate [36], the base hydrolyses of the intermediate dialkyl ester, and subsequent nucleophilic substitution reaction by the released thiolate anion upon the unhydrolysed 0,5-dialkyl ester produces the symmetrical thioether. Yields from the O-methyl ester tend to be poor, but are improved if cyclohexane is used as the solvent in the hydrolysis step (Table 4.13). In the alternative route from the 5,5-dialkyl dithiocarbonates, hydrolysis of the ester in the presence of an alkylating agent leads to the unsymmetrical thioether [39] (Table 4.14). The slow release of the thiolate anions in both reactions makes the procedure socially more acceptable and obviates losses by oxidation. 

As indicated above, the traditional base-catalysed hydrolysis of 0,5-dialkyl thio-carbonates for the synthesis of thiols is generally unsatisfactory, as oxidation leads to the formation of disulphides. Under phase-transfer conditions, the procedure produces thioethers to the virtual exclusion of the thiols, as a result of the slow release of the thiolate anions in the presence of the electrophilic ester. However, a simple modification of the reaction conditions provides an efficient one-pot reaction [50] from haloalkanes (Table 4.15) via the intermediate formation of the thermally labile (9-/ert-butyl-5-alkyl dithiocarbonates (Scheme 4.8). 

The base-catalysed addition of thiols to Jt-electron-deficient alkenes is an important aspect of synthetic organic chemistry. Particular use of Triton-B, in place of inorganic bases, has been made in the reaction of both aryl and alkyl thiols with 1-acyloxy-l-cyanoethene, which behaves as a formyl anion equivalent in the reaction [1], Tetra-n-butylammonium and benzyltriethylammonium fluoride also catalyse the Michael-type addition of thiols to a,P-unsaturated carbonyl compounds [2], The reaction is usually conducted under homogeneous conditions in telrahydrofuran, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, acetone, or acetonitrile, to produce the thioethers in almost quantitative yields (Table 4.22). Use has also been made of polymer-supported qua-... 

An alternate and more controlled approach to the synthesis of phenothiazines involves sequential aromatic nucleophilic displacement reactions. This alternate scheme avoids the formation of the isomeric products that are sometimes observed to form from the sulfuration reaction when using substituted aryl rings. The first step in this sequence consists of the displacement of the activated chlorine in nitrobenzene (30-1) by the salt from orf/io-bromothiophenol (30-2) to give the thioether (30-3). The nitro group is then reduced to form aniline (30-4). Heating that compound in a solvent such as DMF leads to the internal displacement of bromine by amino nitrogen and the formation of the chlorophenothiazine (30-4). Alkylation of the anion from that intermediate with 3-chloro-l-dimethylaminopropane affords chlorpromazine (30-5) [31]. 

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]. 

The preparation of thiols by S ,2 attack of nucleophilic HS on an alkyl halide gives poor yields because the mercaptan loses a proton to form an anion, RS, which reacts with a second molecule of alkyl halide to form a thioether. 

Thiols can be prepared by the action of alkyl halides with an excess of KOH and hydrogen sulphide. It is an SN2 reaction and involves the generation of a hydrogen sulphide anion (HS ) as nucleophile. In this reaction, there is the possibility of the product being ionised and reacting with a second molecule of alkyl halide to produce a thioether (RSR) as a by-product. An excess of hydrogen sulphide is normally used to avoid this problem. 

Thioethers (or sulphides) can be prepared by the SN2 reaction of primary or secondary alkyl halides with a thiolate anion (RS ). The reaction is similar to the Williamson ether synthesis. 

Other sulfur-bonding adducts of the Rh4+ core have been reported for thiols,338 thioethers,305,335 alkyl sulfides,291 293,336 thiourea derivatives,339-341 and benzothiadiazole.342 Reaction ofNCX- (X = S, Se) with [Rh2(02CMe)4] is reported to lead to the anionic 1 1 adduct [Rh2(02CMe)4(NCX)]-, 343 A structure has not been reported, but based on analytical data, one-dimensional chains with bridging NCX- anions were proposed.343... 

The secondary reduction of the terminal radical by Sml2 generates samarium alkyl species which are suitable for classical organometallic reactions, e.g. protonation, acylation, reactions with carbon dioxide, disulfides, diselenides, or the Eschenmoser salt. A broad variety of products is available (hydroxy-substituted alkanes, esters, carboxylic acids, thioethers, selenoethers, tertiary amines) by use of the double-redox four-step (reduction-radical reaction-reduction-anion reaction) route (Scheme 20) [73]. 

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