Thiophenes with carbenes

The reactions of thiophene with carbenes and nitrenes were discussed in detail in CHEC-II(1996). The preparation of S,N-ylides by an improved method is discussed in Section 3.10.3.3. 

In the first edition (CHEC-I) <84CHEC-I(4)74i> it was mentioned that three types of products were identified in the reaction of thiophenes with carbenes generated from diazo compounds, cyclopropanes, 5,C-ylides, and 2-substituted thiophenes, corresponding to carbene attack at the 2,3-double bond, ring sulfur or at C-2, respectively. However, it now appears very likely that the... 

Furan and thiophene undergo addition reactions with carbenes. Thus cyclopropane derivatives are obtained from these heterocycles on copper(I) bromide-catalyzed reaction with diazomethane and light-promoted reaction with diazoacetic acid ester (Scheme 41). The copper-catalyzed reaction of pyrrole with diazoacetic acid ester, however, gives a 2-substituted product (Scheme 42). 

Most 1,2-dithioles react with carbenes and nitrenes at the S-S bond, leading to insertion, and possible further loss of sulfur to form thiophenes or isothiazoles, respectively (Scheme 47) (74T4I13,... 

The comparison of thiophene with thioethers on the one hand and with enol thioethers on the other, in regard to its behaviour towards conventional electrophiles, has been made in Section 3.02.2.3. Attack on carbon is the predominant mode of reaction (Section 3.14.2.4) reaction at sulfur is relatively rare (Section 3.14.2.5). Carbenes are known to act as electrophiles attack at both carbon and sulfur of thiophene has been reported. The carbene generated from diazomalonic ester by rhodium(II) catalysis attacks the sulfur atom of thiophene, resulting in an ylide. It has also been shown that the carbenoid species derived by thermolysis of such an ylide functions as an electrophile, attacking the a-carbon of a second molecule of thiophene (Section 3.14.2.9). Singlet nitrene is electrophilic. However, in contrast to carbenes, it invariably attacks only the carbon atom (Section 3.14.2.9). 

Saito et al. [33] described a new method for the synthesis of heterocycle-fused[c]thiophenes via reaction of aryl heteroaryl thioketones with carbene precursors. Heteroaromatic thioketones A react with carbenoids generated from bis(arylsulfon yl)diazomethanes or phenyliodonium bis(phenylsulfonyl)methylides to give hete-rocycle-fused[c]thiophenes B (Scheme 20). The reaction involves the ring closure of the intermediary thiocarbonyl ylides, followed by restorative aromatization via the elimination of a sulfenic acid. The present method provides simple and facile access to a variety of furo- 118, benzofuro- 119, thieno- 120, benzothieno- 121, pyrrolo-122, and indolo-123 fused [c]thiophenes (Scheme 20). 

Formally, the insertion of a carbene(oid) into the 2,3-doubIe bond of the thiophene ring should result in the formation of the 2-thiabicyclo [3.1.0] hex-3-ene ring system. Copper(II)-catalyzed reaction of thiophene with diazomethane results in the formation of 24 (R = H) in modest yield (63TL1047). Analogously, the reaction of thiophene with ethyl diazoacetate yields 24 (R = COjEt) (22LA154). Although these reactions appear to be simple carbene insertion reactions, it is probable that this simple mechanism is not in operation. Rather, the cyclopropane derivatives 24 probably result from the initial formation of the ylid (e.g., 18), which subsequently rearranges. 

Homothiophene and homofuran (10, X = S, O) are the most reactive substrates. They are easily prepared by carbene addition (using diazomethane as carbene precursor) to thiophene and furan, respectively. Since carbene insertion into the a-carbon-hydrogen bond of diethyl ether (which is usually used as a solvent) competes with carbene addition to the aromatic system, the diazomethane solution for carbene generation is most conveniently prepared using the reactant as solvent. ... 

Most 1,2-dithioles react with carbenes and nitrenes at the S—S bond, leading to insertion, and possible further loss of sulfur to form thiophenes or isothiazoles respectively (Scheme 9) <7474113, 76CJC3879). l,2-Dithiol-3-thiones (2b) usually react at the thione function, with the formation of thiiranes or thiaziranes respectively, which can extrude sulfur to form 3-methylene (2d) or 3-imino-... 

Even thiophene itself will react with carbenes, at sulfur, to produce isolable thiophenium ylides, and in these, the sulfur is definitely tetrahedral. The rearrangement of thiophenium bis(ethoxycarbonyl) methylide to the 2-substituted thiophene provides a rationalisation for the reaction of thiophene with ethyl diazoacetate, which produces what appears to be the product of carbene addition to the 2,3-double bond perhaps this proceeds via initial attack at sulfur followed by S C-2 rearrangement, then collapse to the cyclopropane. Acid catalyses conversion of the cyclopropanated compound into a thiophene-3-acetic ester. ° 2,5-Dichlorothiophenium bis(methoxycarbonyl)methylide has been used as an efficient source of the carbene simply heating it in an alkene results in the transfer of (Me02C)2C to the alkene. ... 

Although the behavior of thiophenes toward carbenes has been fairly well documented, the reaction of thiophene 1,1-dioxides with carbenes or carbenoids has scarcely been reported. The dibromide 3 reacted under the conditions given below to produce 3-dihalomethylenedihydrothiophene dioxide 15 in reasonable yields (Scheme 11) [101]. The reaction may involve the dihalocarbene adducts 16 of the parent thiophene 1,1-dioxide, but the reaction more probably proceeds... 

Thiophenes undergo [2+1] cycloadditions with carbenes across the C-2/C-3 bond, e.g. 

Even thiophene itself will react with carbenes, at sulfur, to produce isolable thiophenium ylides, and in these, the sulfur is definitely tetrahedral. The... 

Various thiolans have been prepared by ionic hydrogenation of thiophens with EtjSiH in the presence of acids. Addition of singlet oxygen to alkyl-substituted thiophens, followed by reduction with di-imine, gave the bicyclic compounds (42) these are examples of the hardly known thia-ozonides. 9-Thia-noradamantane (43) has been synthesized from cyclo-octa-2,7-dienone by a reaction sequence involving a transannular C—H carbene insertion. A bicyclic product (44) has been obtained by the reaction of (—)-carvone with... 

Thiophenes undergo cycloadditions across the C-2/C-3 bond, for example, (2 + 1)-cycloaddition with carbenes ( 9) and (2 -I- 2)-cycloadditions with activated alkynes, as shown for the reaction of tetramethylthiophene with dicyanoacetylene under... 

Rhodium(II) acetate was found to be much more superior to copper catalysts in catalyzing reactions between thiophenes and diazoesters or diazoketones 246 K The outcome of the reaction depends on the particular diazo compound 246> With /-butyl diazoacetate, high-yield cydopropanation takes place, yielding 6-eco-substituted thiabicyclohexene 262. Dimethyl or diethyl diazomalonate, upon Rh2(OAc)4-catalysis at room temperature, furnish stable thiophenium bis(alkoxycarbonyl)methanides 263, but exclusively the corresponding carbene dimer upon heating. In contrast, only 2-thienylmalonate (36 %) and carbene dimer were obtained upon heating the reactants for 8 days in the presence of Cul P(OEt)3. The Rh(II)-promoted ylide formation... 

Interaction of an electrophilic carbene or carbenoid with R—S—R compounds often results in the formation of sulfonium ylides. If the carbene substituents are suited to effectively stabilize a negative charge, these ylides are likely to be isolable otherwiese, their intermediary occurence may become evident from products of further transformation. Ando 152 b) has given an informative review on sulfonium ylide chemistry, including their formation by photochemical or copper-catalyzed decomposition of diazocarbonyl compounds. More recent examples, including the generation and reactions of ylides obtained by metal-catalyzed decomposition of diazo compounds in the presence of thiophenes (Sect. 4.2), allyl sulfides and allyl dithioketals (Sect. 2.3.4) have already been presented. 

A novel route to 2,3-dihydrothiophenes involved a titanocene-promoted carbene formation and subsequenct intramolecular cyclization onto a thiol ester <99SL1029>. Treatment of thioacetal 9 with the low-valent titanium complex 10 gave 2,3-dihydrothiophene 12 by intramolecular olefination of the thiol ester of titanium-carbene intermediate 11. Another metal-mediated cyclization onto the thiophene ring system involved the palladium-catalyzed cyclization of 1,6-diynes <99T485>. For example, treatment of thioether 1,6-diyne 13 with Pdlj in the presence of CO and Oj in methanol followed by treatment with base gave 14. 

The coupling reaction of Fischer carbene complexes, 96, with 3-alkynyl-2-thiophene carboxaldehyde leads to the formation of thieno[2,3-c]pyranones (Scheme 25) <2001TL777, 2002JOC4177>. This reaction is applicable to the oxygenated derivatives. 

Sulfonium ylides generated through base-promoted deprotonation of sulfonium salt have been extensively studied. The reaction of sulfides with a diazo carbonyl compound in the presence of a transition metal catalyst is an alternative approach to obtain sulfonium ylides. Sulfonium ylides are more stable than the corresponding oxonium ylides. Stable sulfonium ylides generated by the reaction of an Rh(ii) carbene complex with thiophene have been reported (Figure 5). ... 

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