Thiophene 5-oxides, formation

Oxidation of thiophene and its derivatives was studied using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), t-butyl-hydroperoxide and Ti-Beta redox molecular sieve as selective oxidation catalysts. A new reaction pathway was discovered and investigated using C-13 NMR, GC, GC-MS, HPLC, ion chromatography, and XANES. The thiophene oxidized to thiophene-sesquioxide [3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-epithiobenzo[b]-thiophene 1,1.8-trioxide] and the sesquioxide oxidized mostly to sulfate. 2-Methyl-thiophene and 2,5 dimethylthiophene also oxidized to sulfate and sulfone products. The Benzothiophene oxidation product was sulfone. This proposed new reaction pathway is different from prior literature, which reported the formation of thiophene 1,1-dioxide (sulfone ) as a stable oxidation product... 

The oxidation of thiophene and its derivatives with H202 was studied using a Ti-Beta molecular sieve. The oxidation product is very dependent from the aromaticity of model compounds. The thiophene oxidation product was mostly sulfates and the benzothiophene oxidation product was benzothiophene sulfone. Oxidation of mono and di-alkyl thiophenes also produced sulfates and sulfones. The diffusivity and aromaticity of the relevant sulfur compounds, intermediates and stable product, as well as the proposed new mechanism of oxidation will be discussed. This proposed new reaction pathway is different from current literature, which reports the formation of sulfones as a stable oxidation product. 

A thiophene ring can also be produced from two methylene groups. Here 2,5-dicarbethoxy-3,4-dicyanomethylthiophene 19 reacted with sulfur mono-chloride to give tetrasubstituted thieno[3,4-c]thiophene 20 in moderate yield (2002JCX72453). A mechanism for the thiophene 20 formation was proposed and 1,2-dithiine derivative 21 was likely to be an intermediate (Scheme 10) because sulfur monochloride gave higher yields of 20 than SCl2. At the next step (21 20), sulfur monochloride apparently acted as an oxidant. 

The oxidative formation of azulenoquinones from linearly fused azulenoheterocycles, on the other hand, exactly follows the rules of electrophilic substitution on azulenes (cf. Section 4.2.1). Thiophene 45a or furan 47a (Scheme 68) can be oxidized by bromine/aqueous acetic acid, phenyltrimethylammonium perbromide (PTAB) or pyridinium perbro-mide to yield mixtures of quinones 274a and 275a or 274b and 275b, respectively (96BCJ1149, 03H(61)271). 

The mechanism is quite complex however, a largely accepted mechanism is shown in Scheme 3. Thiophene dimer formation is promoted by an electrochemical oxidation and coupling, followed by the loss of two protons. The neutral dimer is then oxidized and coupled with another unit producing a trimer the mechanism is repeated and a polymer with n thiophene rings is formed [39]. Several studies have... 

Surprisingly little work has been done on the biosynthesis of bi- and trithiophenes. The steps involved in the formation of such plant components start with the synthesis of the carbon skeleton, introduce sulfur atoms which are then incorporated into thiophene rings, and finish with minor side-chain adjustments. These may include reduction, oxidation, formation of epoxides, conversion of the latter into diols, esterification of hydroxyl groups, loss of carbon atoms, etc. 

Electron-deficient alkenes add stereospecifically to 4-hydroxy-THISs with formation of endo-cycloadducts. Only with methylvinyl-ketone considerable amounts of the exo isomer are produced (Scheme 8) (16). The adducts (6) may extrude hydrogen sulfide on heating with methoxide producing 2-pyridones. The base is unnecessary with fumaronitrile adducts. The alternative elimination of isocyanate Or sulfur may be controlled using 7 as the dipolarenOphile. The cycloaddition produces two products, 8a (R = H, R = COOMe) and 8b (R = COOMe, R =H) (Scheme 9) (17). Pyrolysis of 8b leads to extrusion of furan and isocyanate to give a thiophene. The alternative S-elimi-nation can be effected by oxidation of the adduct and subsequent pyrolysis. 

The principal electrophiles to attack ring sulfur are either oxidants or alkylating reagents. Thiophene sulfoxide and sulfone formation is discussed in Section 3.02.2.6. Alkylating agents capable of forming thiophenium salts include trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate (MeaO BF ) and alkyl fluorosulfonates (ROSO2F). The salts e.g. 87) are conveniently isolated as hexafluorophosphates (88). 

The mechanism for the redistribution in oxidation states begins similarly to that of the Paal thiophene synthesis. However, upon formation of dithione 38, nucleophilic addition of one thiocarbonyl into the other produces the intermediate zwitterion 39. A 1,3-tautomerization of hydrogen then gives... 

Tile preparation of beiizo-l,2-dithiete (264) had been claimed by oxidation of 1,2-benzenedithiol (25JIC318). However, later work has shown that the reaction product was probably a polymeric mixture (61JOC4782). Subsequently, compound 265 was irradiated to give a mixture of CO, sulfur, and dithiin and thiophene derivatives, which could, at least in part, be explained by the formation of 266 (72JHC707). Results of the thermolysis of 267 were also rationalized in terms of the intermediacy of o-dithiobenzo-quinone (the tautomer of 264) (78JOC2084). 

The electrochemical oxidation of monomers such as pyrrole,2-5 thiophene,6-9 aniline,10-13 etc., or their derivatives, initiates a polymerization process at the electrode/electrolyte interface that promotes the formation of a polymeric film that adheres to the electrode. A similar homogeneous polymerization process can be initiated by chemical oxidation or chemical polymerization.14-21 Some monomers can be polymerized as well by electrochemical or chemical reduction. 

It has been known that aromatic heterocycles such as furan, thiophene, and pyrrole undergo Diels-Alder reactions despite their aromaticity and hence expected inertness. Furans have been especially used efficiently as dienes due to their electron-rich properties. Thiophenes and pyrroles are less reactive as dienes than furans. But pyrroles with A-elecIron-withdrawing substituents are efficient dienes. There exists a limited number of examples of five-membered, aromatic heterocycles acting as dienophiles in Diels-Alder reactions. Some nitro heteroaromatics serve as dienophiles in the Diels-Alder reactions. Heating a mixture of l-(phenylsulfonyl)-3-nitropyrrole and isoprene at 175 °C followed by oxidation results in the formation of indoles (see Eq. 8.22).35a A-Tosyl-3-nitroindole undergoes high-yielding Diels-Alder reactions with... 

Cyclic voltametric analysis has been utilized to determine material properties of this class of heterocyclic compounds. All the DTPs 23 <2003JOC2921 > exhibited a well-defined irreversible oxidation presumably corresponding to the formation of the radical cation. When scanned to higher positive potentials, it resulted in two consecutive broad oxidations for most of the DTPs. The second oxidation is quite weak, followed by a more intense and well-defined third oxidation. Coupling of thiophene radical cation is usually rapid (r <10-5 s) <1995SM(75)95>. These additional broad waves most likely correspond to the oxidation of coupled products rather than further DTP oxidations. The electrochemical data of the DTP S 23 are given in the Table 10. 

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