Sixth International Electronic Conference on Synthetic Organic Chemistry (ECSOC-6), http://www.mdpi.org/ecsoc-6, 1-30 September 2002

[A005]

Cycloaddition of Thiophene S-oxides to Allenes and to Benzyne

Hideki Fujii,a Daisuke Ohira,a Shuntaro Matakab and Thies Thiemannb*

 

aInterdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences and bInstitute of Advanced Material Study, Kyushu University, 6-1, Kasuga-koh-en, Kasuga-shi, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan. E-mail: [email protected]

 

Introduction

Until recently, thiophene S-oxides[1] have been quite elusive molecules. Nevertheless, two main routes towards the synthesis of these compounds have been established: a.) by oxidation of the corresponding thiophenes;[2] b.) by the reaction of alkynes with zirconocene dichloride via the corresponding substituted zirconacyclopentadienes, which with sulfur dioxide or thionylchloride are transformed to the thiophene S-oxides [3] Substituted thiophene S-oxides may be viewed as reactive dienes and can be utilized as the 4p-component in Diels-Alder type reactions.[4] Thus, thiophene S-oxides have been reacted with both alkenes to give 7-thiabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene S-oxides and with alkynes to give substituted arenes. In these reactions it could be seen that both electronic factors as well as steric factors play an important role in the outcome of the reaction, epecially in whether the cycloaddition proceeds at all. Limiting factors peculiar to thiophene S-oxides are the ease of self dimerisation, shared with some other cyclic dienes, and the deoygenation reaction of thiophene S-oxides, especially in the presence of easily oxidizable dienophiles such as methylenecyclopropanes. In this contribution, the authors have focussed on the cycloaddition behaviour of thiophene S-oxides to allenes and to benzyne.

 

Results and Discussion

Two differently substituted thiophene S-oxides, tetraphenylthiophene S-oxide (3) and tetramethylthiophene S-oxide (7), have been used in this study. 3 is a sterically congested compound with substituents of slightly withdrawing nature. 7 is sterically a less exacting molecule with electron donating substituents. 3 and 7 were reacted with allenes 10, 12, and 15, where these differ in the electronic and steric properties of their substituents.

3 was prepared by the reaction of diphenylethyne (tolane) (1) with zirconocene dichloride[3], while 7 was obtained from the oxidation of tetramethylthiophene (6) with m-CPBA in the presence of BF3.Et2O as a Lewis acid catalyst.[2b,4a] (Scheme 1)

Allenes 10, 12, and 15 were prepared by known methods.[5] Phenylallene [phenylpropadiene] (10) was synthesized in a two step procedure via Skattebøl rearrangement of 1,1-dibromo-2-phenylcyclopropane (9) (MeLi, ether).[5a] 9 itself was prepared by dibromocarbene addition to styrene (8), where the reaction was run as a two-phase reaction under PTC-conditions (bromoform, triethylbenzylammonium bromide, 50% aq. NaOH, styrene)[5b] Allenes 12a/12b were prepared by Wittig olefination of acyl chlorides 11. Octyloxyallene (15) was obtained in a two step procedure from propargylic bromide by etherification with n-octanol (13) and subsequent base induced alkyne-allene isomerisation in 14 (all Scheme 2).

Reactions of thiophene S-oxides such as 16 with alkylidenecyclopropanes such as with 17 (Scheme 3) had already been carried out by the authors[4c] and cycloadducts had been obtained as a single diastereoisomer in relatively good yield. Due to the oxidazibility of the strained olefin, some thiophene S-oxide was lost at the time due to deoxygenation. Taking the reaction one step further, from ethyl acrylate via ethyl cyclopropylideneacetate, the authors decided to look at the reactivity of the thiophene S-oxides towards allenes, such as towards ethyl propadienoate. When comparing 12a and 17, it is evident that the olefinic moiety in 12a possesses less strain energy than that of 17, nevertheless, the mono-substituted 12a is sterically less exacting.

On the other hand, cycloaddition of 12a to thiophene S-oxides would give bridged thiabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene S-oxides such as 20, which additionally possess an exo-methylene function. Whereas the cycloaddition of methylenecyclopropanes such as 17 results in the formation of a spirocyclopropane unit, which is quite stable under the conditions of its formation and suppresses the extrusion of the SO-bridge and the concurrent aromatisation of the molecules, as partly seen in the reaction of thiophene S-oxides with 1,2-disubstituted alkenes, some aromatisation was expected to occur in the case of the reaction of 7 with ethyl propandienoate (12a) via isomerisation of the exo-olefin to an endo-olefin, which, as a thiabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene S-oxide, would spontaneously extrude the SO-bridge and would form a functionalized arene. Surprisingly, when 7 was heated with 12a in chloroform at 60‹C for 12h only the cycloadduct 20 could be observed. The yield is very close to that found for the same reaction of a thiophene S-oxide with ethyl cyclopropylidene acetate (17).[4c] Pertinent 13C NMR data[7] of the compound 20 (Figure 1) are the chemical shifts, dC = 69/75 ppm, of the two quaternary carbons, which are indicative for the bridge head carbons of the sulfoxy bridge; also informative are the absorptions of the carbons of the exo-methylene functionality with the methylene carbon at dC = 111 ppm and the quaternary carbon at dC = 147 ppm. 20 is formed as one isomer only with endo-stereochemistry and the lone pair of the electron pair on sulfur pointing towards the newly formed double bond within the carbocyclic framework.[8] Interestingly, in the reaction of the tetraphenylthiophene S-oxide (3) and allene 12a only the aromatized products 21a and 21b could be isolated. This seems to indicate that the steric factor is important for the non-selectivity of the attack, ie. both olefinic moities of the allene react equally; while one is favored electronically, the other is favored sterically. Also the aromatisation of the primary cycloadduct decreases some steric congestion.

As the appended phenyl substituents are not in full conjugation to the aromatic core, due to out of plane rotation, stabilisation through conjugation with the phenyl substituents may not necessarily play an important role in the release of the sulfoxy bridge, when one compares the situation with that of 20.

Reaction of tetramethylthiophene S-oxide (7) and phenylallene (10) again leads to two products, 19a and 19b, stemming from comparative reactivity of the two olefinic moities of the allene. Here, the phenyl substituted olefinic moiety is not as favored electronically as in 12a and thus a greater reactivity balance is found between the sterically less exacting, non-substituted olefinic moiety and the phenyl substituted moiety. No aromatized products have been isolated from this reaction. With the donor substituent allene 15, tetramethylthiophene S-oxide (7) and tetraphenylthiophene S-oxide (3) show comparative reactivity. Both react at the non-substituted side. In both cases similar yields are found and similar amounts of aromatized product are observed. The initially formed enol ethers are hydrolysed during work up to the corresponding aldehydes 22a/b and 23a/b.

In their study of the reactivity of substituted thiophene S-oxides as diene components in Diels-Alder type reactions, the authors have also recently employed benzyne (29) as the ene-component. While there are a number of methods[8] towards the preparation of benzyne, in this case it was important to use a procedure under mild, non-reductive and not too basic conditions. This is offered by the method of T. Kitamura et al.[9] from o-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl(phenyl)iodonium triflate (25), which can be prepared from o-dichlorobenzene in two steps. When tetrabutylammonium fluoride is added to 25[10] in THF, benzyne is formed in situ. It can be reacted with thiophene S-oxides. When 1:1 mixture of thiophene S-oxide 27[11] and 25 (ie., 29) were reacted accordingly, the cycloadduct 28 was obtained in 55% yield (Scheme 5). The reaction of 5 eq. of tetraphenylthiophene S-oxide with 25 at rt gave the respective cycloadduct in quantitative yield, as calculated on 25. A very good indication that from their chemical behavior, dibenzothiophene S-oxides, such as 24, should not be viewed as annelated thiophene S-oxides but rather as sulfoxy-bridged diaryls can be obtained from the fact that dibenzothiophene S-oxide 24 is totally unreactive towards benzyne (29) under the conditions described above (Scheme 5).

In conclusion, thiophene S-oxides react as diene component with allenes in a [4+2]-cycloaddition reaction. Tetra-substituted thiophene S-oxides are very sensitive towards steric prerequisites. Thiophene S-oxides also react with benzyne, formed in situ.

 

Experimental Example

1,4-Dimethyl-2,3-bis(p-methoxyphenyl)naphthalene (28) - Reaction of a Thiophene S-oxide with Benzyne, formed in situ:

At 0‹C and within 10 min, a solution of n-tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) (78 mg, 0.3 mmol) in THF (0.5 mL) was slowly added to a mixture of 27 (68 mg, 0.2 mmol) and 25 (100 mg, 0.2 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (1 mL). The resulting solution was stirred for 1h at rt. Then, water (5 mL) was added and the reaction mixture was extracted with CH2Cl2 (3 X 5 mL). The organic phase was dried over anhydrous MgSO4 and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was subjected to column chromatography on silica gel to give 28 (40 mg, 55%) as colorless needles: IR (KBr) n 3064, 2992, 2920, 1610, 1513, 1286, 1035, 759 cm-1; 1H NMR (270 MHz, CDCl3) d 2.43 (s, 6H, 2 CH3), 3.75 (s, 6H, 2 OCH3), 6.70 (d, 2H, 3J 8.7 Hz), 6.87 (d, 2H, 3J 8.7 Hz), 7.56 (m, 2H), 8.12 (m, 2H); 13C NMR (67.8 MHz, CDCl3, DEPT 90, DEPT 135)* d 16.87 (2C, 2 CH3), 55.07 (2C, 2 OCH3), 125.01 (2C, CH), 125.62 (2C, CH), 129.77 (2C, Cquat), 131.37 (4C, CH), 132.02 (2C, Cquat), 134.30 (2C, Cquat), 139.44 (2C, Cquat), 157.52 (2C, Cquat); MS (70 eV) m/z (%) 368 (M+, 100). HRMS Found: 368.1779. Calcd. for C26H24O2: 368.1776. (M+)

 

References and Footnotes:

[1]                    For a recent review on thiophene S-oxides, see: T. Thiemann, K. Gopal Dongol, J. Chem. Res. (S) 2002, 303.

[2]                    [2a]P. Pouzet, I. Erdelmeier, D. Ginderow, J.-P. Mornon, P. Dansette, D. Mansuy, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1995, 473; [2b]Y. Q. Li, M. Matsuda, T. Thiemann, T. Sawada, S. Mataka, M. Tashiro, Synlett 1996, 461; [2c]J. Nakayama, T. Yu, Y. Sugihara, A. Ishii, Chem. Lett. 1997, 499; [2d]N. Furukawa, S. Zhang, S. Sato, M. Higaki, Heterocycles 1997, 44, 61.

[3]                    [3a]P. J. Fagan, W. A. Nugent, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1988, 110, 2310; [3b]F. Meier-Brocks, E. Weiss, J. Organomet. Chem. 1993, 453, 33; [3c]P. J. Fagan, W. A. Nugent, J. C. Calabrese, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 1880; [3d]B. T. Jiang, T. D. Tilley, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 9744; [3e]M. C. Suh, B. T. Jiang, Angew. Chem. 2000, 112, 2992; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2000, 39, 2870.

[4]                    [4a]Y. Q. Li, T. Thiemann, T. Sawada, S. Mataka, M. Tashiro, J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 7926; [4b]Y. Q. Li, T. Thiemann, K. Mimura, T. Sawada, S. Mataka, M. Tashiro, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 1998, 1841; [4c]T. Thiemann, D. Ohira, Y. Q. Li, T. Sawada, S. Mataka, K. Rauch, M. Noltemeyer, A. de Meijere, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1 2000, 2968; [4d]N. Furukawa, S.-Z. Zhang, E. Horn, O. Takahashi, S. Sato, M. Yokoyama, K. Yamaguchi, Heterocycles 1998, 47, 793.

[5]                    [5a]T. R. Chen, M. R. Anderson, S. Grossman, D. G. Peters, J. Org. Chem. 1987, 52, 1231; [5b]V. D. Novokreshchennykh, S. S. Mochalov, Yu. S. Shabarov, Zh. Org. Khim. 1979, 15, 485 (Russ.); J. Org. Chem. USSR 1979, 430 (Engl.) and ref. cited; [5c]R. W. Lang, H.-J. Hansen, Helv. Chim. Acta 1980, 63, 438; [5d]A. Hausherr, B. Orschel, S. Scherer, H.-U. Reissig, Synthesis 2001, 1377 and ref. cited.

[6]                    R. Gaertner, R. G. Tonkyn, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1951, 73, 5872.

[7]                    Typical spectral data: (19a): IR (KBr) n 3056, 3030, 2970, 2924, 1642, 1598, 1492, 1449, 1376, 1090, 1063, 913, 768, 705 cm-1; 1H NMR (270 MHz, CDCl3) d 1.30 (s, 3H, CH3), 1.37 (s, 3H, CH3), 1.59 (s, 3H, CH3), 1.81 (s, 3H, CH3), 4.12 (m, 1H)**, 5.05 (d, 1H, 2J 2.3 Hz), 5.18 (d, 1H, 2J, 2.3 Hz), 6.98 - 7.02 (m, 2H, phenyl-H), 7.23 - 7.27 (m, 3H, phenyl-H); 13C NMR (67.8 MHz, DEPT 90, DEPT 135) d 10.57 (+, CH3), 10.98 (+, CH3), 12.29 (+, CH3), 12.64 (+, CH3), 53.53 (+, CH), 70.91 (Cquat), 75.54 (Cquat), 111.57 (-), 127.06 (+, CH), 128.12 (+, CH), 129.42 (+, CH), 130.69 (Cquat), 131.68 (Cquat), 139.23 (Cquat), 152.24 (Cquat); (19b): 1H NMR (270 MHz, CDCl3) d 1.52 (s, 3H, CH3), 1.63 (s, 3H, CH3), 1.70 (s, 3H, CH3), 1.74 (s, 3H, CH3), 2.61 (dd, 1H, 2J 16.2 Hz, 4J 2.0 Hz), 3.09 (dd, 1H, 2J 16.2 Hz, 4J 1.8 Hz), 6.31 (dd, 4J 2.0 Hz, 4J 1.8 Hz), 7.20 - 7.42 (m, 5H); 13C NMR (67.8 MHz, CDCl3, DEPT 90, DEPT 135) d 11.00 (+, CH3), 11.50 (+, CH3), 13.64 (+, CH3), 15.24 (+, CH3), 37.38 (-), 67.64 (Cquat), 77.70 (Cquat), 124.60 (+, CH), 126.92 (+, CH), 128.24 (+, CH), 129.45 (+, CH), 131.50 (Cquat), 132.60 (Cquat), 137.34 (Cquat), 141.04 (Cquat). *The assignment of the C-signals has been aided by DEPT experiments (DEPT = Distortionless Enhancement of Polarisation Transfer), where (+) denotes primary and tertiary carbons, (-) secondary carbons and (Cquat) quaternary carbons.**1H-1H COSY experiment shows that in 19a there is a long-range coupling between the methylidene proton on the carbocycle adjacent to the phenyl substituent and both exo-methylene protons; from the 270 MHz 1H NMR spectrum it has not been possible to obtain the coupling constants for either of the couplings.

[8]                    For preparation and use of benzyne as dienophile, see: [8a]R. W. Hoffmann, 'Dehydrobenzenes and Cycloalkynes', Academic Press, New York 1967, pp. 200. For further use of benzyne prepared in situ, see: [8b]M. R. Bryce, J. M. Vernon Adv. Heterocycl. Chem. 1981, 28, 183.

[9]                    T. Kitamura, M. Yamane, K. Inoue, M. Todaka, N. Fukatsu, Z. Meng, Y. Fujiwara, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 11674.

[10]                The authors thank Prof. T. Kitamura, Saga University (formerly Kyushu University, Japan) for a generous donation of (phenyl)[o-trimethylsilyl]phenyl]iodonium triflate.

[11]                The thiophene S-oxide was prepared from the corresponding thiophene by oxidation with m-CPBA in presence of BF3.Et2O, see ref. 4c. Likewise dibenzothiophene S-oxide has been prepared by oxidation with m-CPBA, see also: T. Thiemann, K. Arima, K. Kumazoe, S. Mataka, Rep. Inst. Adv. Mat. Study Kyushu Univ. 2000, 14(2), 139; Chem. Abstr. 2001, 134, 326 318a.