Vinyl thiolation

This disulfide offers a straightforward entry to Z-l,2-bis-alkyl-sulfanyl-alkenes, which are not available in satisfying yields from aliphatic disulfides. As shown in eq 12, the protected disulfide first adds to the triple bond via a cross-coupling reaction catalyzed by Pd°. The adduct is converted through deprotection with TBAF to the bis-vinyl thiolate, which reacts with methyl iodide to give the corresponding bis-alkylsulfide (eq 12). ... 

The hydrothiolation of terminal alkyl alkynes with 96 (Fig. 2.17) proceeds with good degree of regio- and chemo-selectivity, especially with thiophenol and p-methoxy-thiophenol as substrates. Isomerisation to the internal alkenyl thiolates accounts for less than 9% of the thiolated products under the reaction conditions. In addition, further hydrothiolation of the vinyl thioether product is not observed. Typical conversions of 70-85% at 1 mol% loading at 80°C within 5 h are observed. Arylthiols substituted with electron-withdrawing groups afford lower conversions. 

In 1979, the reaction of styrenyl and hexenyl halides with an alkali metal thiophenolate and ethanethiolate was reported (Equation (40))130 Reaction yields exceeded 90%, and the products retained the geometry of the starting olefin. In contrast to the stereospecificity of palladium-catalyzed couplings involving vinyl halides, nickel-catalyzed couplings of vinyl halides with thiolates gave mixtures of stereoisomeric products 131... 

Strong bases readily eliminate thiol from vinylic sulfides. 1,2-Bis(alkyl- or arylthio)ethynes for example, react with two equivalents of BuLi or alkali amide to give metallated alkyl- or arylthioacetylenes and thiolates [24] ... 

TABLE 13. Synthesis of vinyl sulfides (185) by the reaction of magnesium alkyU-dene carbenoids with lithium thiolates... 

Thioethers (sulfides) can be prepared by treatment of alkyl halides with salts of thiols (thiolate ions).7S2 R may be alkyl or aryl. As in 0-35, RX cannot be a tertiary halide, and sulfuric and sulfonic esters can be used instead of halides. As in the Williamson reaction (0-12), yields are improved by phase-transfer catalysis.753 Instead of RS ions, thiols themselves can be used, if the reaction is run in benzene in the presence of DBU (p. 1023).754 Neopentyl bromide was converted to Me3CCH2SPh in good yield by treatment with PhS in liquid NH3 at -33°C under the influence of light.755 This probably takes place by an SrnI mechanism (see p. 648). Vinylic sulfides can be prepared by treating vinylic bromides with PhS in the presence of a nickel complex,756 and with R3SnPh in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4.757 R can be tertiary if an alcohol is the substrate, e.g,758... 

Some strategies used for the preparation of support-bound thiols are listed in Table 8.1. Oxidative thiolation of lithiated polystyrene has been used to prepare polymeric thiophenol (Entry 1, Table 8.1). Polystyrene functionalized with 2-mercaptoethyl groups has been prepared by radical addition of thioacetic acid to cross-linked vinyl-polystyrene followed by hydrolysis of the intermediate thiol ester (Entry 2, Table 8.1). A more controllable introduction of thiol groups, suitable also for the selective transformation of support-bound substrates, is based on nucleophilic substitution with thiourea or potassium thioacetate. The resulting isothiouronium salts and thiol acetates can be saponified, preferably under reductive conditions, to yield thiols (Table 8.1). Thiol acetates have been saponified on insoluble supports with mercaptoethanol [1], propylamine [2], lithium aluminum hydride [3], sodium or lithium borohydride, alcoholates, or hydrochloric acid (Table 8.1). 

Reactions which are apparently stereospecific occur in the nucleophilic displacement of vinylic iodide [31] in the electron-deficient alkenes E- and Z-24 shown in Scheme 9.14. With ethanolic toluenethiolate, the sole detectable product from the reaction of -24 is -25. However, -25 is also the sole detectable product from the reaction of Z-24. This stereoconvergence demands that the stereoisomers react through a common intermediate, and it was reasonably suggested that initial nucleophilic addition of the thiolate anion yields a resonance-stabilised carbanion (26) whose stereoisomerisation, again by rotation about a carbon-carbon single bond, is much faster than the loss of iodide to yield the substitution product ( fy). 

Lithium acetylides and lithium thiolates have been shown to add to magnesium alkylidene carbenoids yielding conjugated enynes and vinyl sulfides.94... 

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