Thioethers reduction with Raney nickel

Treatment of the 2-pyrrolyl allyl thioether (498) with acetic anhydride and quinoline at 170 °C (or in A jV-dimethylaniline at ca. 100 °C) results in a thio-Claisen rearrangement to give the 5-(3-allyl-2-pyrrolyl) thioacetate (499), whilst peracid oxidation of (498) produces the non-rearranged sulfone in low yield and Raney nickel reduction of (498) yields 3-propylpyrrole (78CJC221). The polyphosphoric acid-catalyzed cyclization of (2-pyrrolylthio) acetic acid (501 R = R = H) somewhat unexpectedly yields (502) via the Spiro intermediate, instead of forming the expected oxothiolane (500), which can be obtained by a Dieckmann cyclization of ethyl (3-ethoxycarbonyl-2-pyrrolylthio) acetate (501 R = Et, R = C02Et) (B-77MI30506). 

Raney nickel is a highly active, finely divided form of the metal prepared by reaction of a nickel/aluminum alloy with concentrated sodium hydroxide, which removes most of the aluminum as Na[Al(OH)4], Although active for a very wide range of reductions, it has been particularly widely used for the reduction of nitriles, and the desulfurization of thioacetals, thioethers, and dithianes (see Section 19.3.3) (Figure 23.22). The careful disposal of the catalyst after use is very important once it has dried out, the metal is highly pyrophoric. 

Reduction. Raney Nickel desulfurization of 1,3-dithiolanes effects overall reduction of C=0 to CH2, as does Sodium-Ammonia in THF (eqs 4 and 5). Na/hydrazine is an alternative reagent (eq 6). Peptidic sulfoxides are reduced to thioethers with (1) and an electrophilic catalyst. ... 

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