Regioselective synthesis of functionalized naphtho[b]thiophenes through a ‘lactone methodology’

Benzo[b]thiophene and its benzannulated derivatives are important classes of compounds due to their unique chemical properties and biosteric relationship with indole. In this letter, we report a convenient route for the synthesis of substituted naphtho[b]thiophenes through a ring transformation reaction of suitably functionalized 2H-pyran-2-ones with 6,7-dihydro-5H-benzothiophene-4-one, in good yields.     

A versatile one-pot multicomponent synthesis of novel quinazolinon-2-yl-tetrasubstituted thiophenes

Here, we report a versatile multicomponent synthesis of novel quinazolinon-2-yl-tetrasubstituted thiophenes by a one-pot reaction using different alkyl-3-aminobutenoates, isothiocyanates and 2-halomethyl quinazolinones in good to excellent yields. The reaction probably proceeds by an intramolecular 5-exo-trig cyclisation.     

A new synthesis of benzo[b]thiophenes utilizing an interrupted Pummerer reaction

A convenient synthesis of 3-arylbenzo[b]thiophenes utilizing an interrupted Pummerer reaction of 2-(1-arylvinyl)phenyl ethyl sulfoxides is described. Thus, treatment of these sulfoxides, which were readily prepared from 2-sulfanylphenyl ketones or 2-fluoro-5-methoxybenzaldehyde, with acetic anhydride at 100 °C afforded 3-arylbenzo[b]thiophenes in reasonable yields.     

A facile and convenient one-pot synthesis of polysubstituted thiophenes from 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in water

A facile and convenient one-pot synthesis of polysubstituted thiophenes 2 and polysubstituted thieno[2,3-b]thiophenes 3 from 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds 1 has been achieved in high yields catalyzed by tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) in the presence of K₂CO₃ in water. TBAB in the aqueous phase can be recycled after the separation of organic products.     

An efficient and novel approach to the synthesis of tetrahydrophenanthro[4,3-b]thiophenes

An elegant approach to the synthesis of 2,3,6,7-tetrahydrophenanthro[4,3-b]thiophenes has been described through base catalyzed ring transformation of 4-sec-amino-2-oxo-5,6-dihydro-2H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitriles with tetrahydrothiophen-3-one in very good yields.     

Synthesis of 1,3-diaryl benzo[c]thiophenes

An array of 1,3-diarylbenzo[c]thiophenes has been synthesized via the ring opening of lactones followed by thionation using Lawesson’s reagent.     

An efficient phosphine-free palladium coupling for the synthesis of new 2-arylbenzo[b]thiophenes

Straightforward and rapid access to 2-arylbenzo[b]thiophenes has been developed. It involved a catalytic coupling of 3-activated benzo[b]thiophenes with several aryl halides in the presence of a phosphine-free palladium system. In case of fragile functional groups such as aldehydes, a quaternary ammonium was used as an additive as with the other substrates, the coupling performed better and faster in the presence of a crown ether, the best one being DCH-18-C-6, with good yields and low reaction times. This method would provide a direct access to novel structures of biological interest.     

Dipyridyl/pyridinium thieno[2,3-b]thiophenes as new atropisomeric systems. Synthesis, conformational analysis and energy minimization

Synthesis of a new class of cofacially oriented dipyridyl(pyridinium)lthieno[2,3-b]thiophenes with or without -CO₂Et and -COMe substituents at C2, and C5 positions of thieno[2,3-b]thiophene ring was readily accomplished using a double Dieckman cyclization protocol as the key step. While C2/C5 substituted dipyridylthieno[2,3-b]thiophenes exhibited syn/anti atropisomerism at least up to 70 °C with Arrhenius energy of activation (ΔG^≠) in the range of 17-18 kcal/mol, on the other hand unsubstituted dipyridylthieno[2,3-b]thiophene and its bis-N-quaternized salt were found to show free conformational rotation with an estimated ΔG^≠ of lower than 10 kcal/mol. Conformational energy minimization using AM1 protocol revealed a slight preference for the anti over syn isomers. Compared to the unsubstituted dipyridylthieno[2,3-b]thiophenes, higher energy barriers to rotation (3.7-5.1 kcal/mol) in substituted dipyridylthieno[2,3-b]thiophenes can be attributed to steric encumbrance resulting from -CO₂Et and -COMe substituents located on the non-rotating thienothiophene platform.     

Synthesis of regioselectively functionalized benzo[b]thiophenes by combined ortho-lithiation-halocyclization strategies

An efficient synthesis of 3-halo-7-oxygen-functionalized benzo[b]thiophenes bearing different substituents at C-2 has been developed from N,N-diethyl O-3-halophenylcarbamates. The key steps are an ortho-lithiation reaction, which gives rise to 3-halo-2-sulfanylphenol derivatives, and a electrophilic cyclization. The subsequent functionalization of the prepared halobenzothiophenes allows the access of a wide variety of 2,3,7-regioselectively functionalized benzo[b]thiophenes in good overall yields.     

Alkenylation of thiophenes at the 2-position with magnesium alkylidene carbenoids

Treatment of magnesium alkylidene carbenoids, generated from 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides with isopropylmagnesium chloride at −78 °C in toluene, with 2-lithiothiophenes gave 2-alkenylated thiophenes in good to high yields. The intermediate of this reaction was found to be an alkenylmagnesium, which could be trapped with iodoalkanes and ethyl chloroformate. This procedure offers a novel and efficient one-pot synthesis of thiophenes having a disubstituted or a trisubstituted olefin at the 2-position from thiophenes in good yields.     

An efficient synthesis of 3-aryl-2-aryl(or methyl)sulfanylbenzo[b]thiophenes via cyclization of aryl 2-aryl(or methyl)sulfanylmethylsulfanylphenyl ketones

A convenient method for the preparation of 2-aryl(or methyl)sulfanylbenzo[b]thiophenes has been developed. Thus, aryl 2-aryl(or methyl)sulfanylmethylsulfanylphenyl ketones, easily prepared from readily available aryl 2-sulfanylphenyl ketones or 2-chloro-5-nitrophenyl phenyl ketone, are treated with LDA in 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) to give 3-aryl-2-aryl(or methyl)sulfanylmethylsulfanyl-2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]thiophen-3-ols, which in turn were dehydrated with thionyl chloride to afford 3-aryl-2-aryl(or methyl)sulfanylbenzo[b]thiophenes in reasonable overall yields.     

A facile domino protocol for the regioselective synthesis and discovery of novel 2-amino-5-arylthieno-[2,3-b]thiophenes as antimycobacterial agents

A series of novel 2-amino-5-arylthieno[2,3-b]thiophenes has been synthesized regioselectively from the reaction of 5-aryldihydro-3(2H)-thiophenones with ethyl cyanoacetate/malononitrile and sulfur powder in the presence of morpholine under thermal as well as microwave irradiation conditions. This transformation presumably occurs via domino Gewald reaction-dehydrogenation sequence. The 2-amino-5-arylthieno[2,3-b]thiophenes were evaluated for their in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (MTB) and multi-drug resistant M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Among 12 compounds screened, ethyl 2-amino-5-(1-naphthyl)thieno[2,3-b]thiophene-3-carboxylate was found to be the most active compound with MIC of 1.1 μM against MTB and MDR-TB.     

A convenient approach towards 2- and 3-aminobenzo[b]thiophenes

Reaction of 1-(2-chloro-5-nitrophenyl)ethanone via Willgerodt-Kindler route with primary or secondary amines and sulfur allows a simple, efficient one-pot synthesis of 3-aminobenzo[b]thiophenes. Base-catalyzed transformation of 4-(2-chloro-5-nitrophenyl)-1,2,3-thiadiazole in the presence of primary and secondary amines offers a convenient approach towards 2-aminobenzo[b]thiophenes.     

Insights into the reaction of trans-diarylethenes with thionyl chloride: a practical synthesis of chlorobenzo[b]thiophenes

The reactivity of a variety of trans-1,2-diarylethenes with thionyl chloride has been investigated. All the substrates could readily afford 3-chlorobenzo[b]thiophenes in moderate yields and a pair of threo- and erythro-1,2-dichloro-1,2-diarylethanes as the minor products under mild condition. The diastereoisomers of 1,2-dichloro-1,2-diarylethanes with a methoxy group on the benzene ring were found for the first time to be also converted into cholobenzo[b]thiophenes under treatment of thionyl chloride. The chemical transformations have been mechanistically rationalized and successfully applied to a one-pot synthesis of novel fluorescent liquid crystalline compounds containing benzo[b]thiophene and 1,3,4-oxadiazole units. Their spectroscopic and mesogenic behaviours are also described.     

Efficient synthesis of highly substituted thiophenes from acetylenic esters, ethyl bromopyruvate, and tetramethylthiourea

The reaction of acetylenic esters with ethyl bromopyruvate in the presence of tetramethylthiourea led to highly functionalized thiophenes in excellent yields.     

Direct alkylation of thiophenes via bis-coupling with vinyl acetates

A novel direct alkylation of thiophenes via bis-coupling with vinyl acetates has been developed. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report of the iron-catalysed coupling of two thiophenes with vinyl groups. Utilizing earth-abundant, inexpensive, and non-toxic iron catalysts, this methodology converts simple thiophenes to symmetrical dithienylethane derivatives under mild conditions in one step.     

Action of alkali metals in liquid ammonia on substituted thiophenes

The action of lithium and alcohols in liquid ammonia on α-substituted thiophenes with subsequent hydrolysis of the products leads to conversion of the thiophene fragment of the molecule to a butyryl group. A number of amino ketones of the aliphatic series were obtained from α-(ω-dialkylaminoalkyl)thiophenes.     

Selective synthesis, structure and oxidation properties of isomeric 1,4-dithiins fused to two benzo[b]thiophenes

Two novel isomers of 1,4-dithiins fused to two benzo[b]thiophenes on both sides were obtained by selective synthetic methods via the corresponding sulfides. The crystal structures of two dithiins were determined by X-ray crystallographic analyses. Examination of oxidation properties of the dithiins showed interesting results by CV measurement. The ESR spectra of chemically oxidized dithiins indicated formation of stable radical cations.     

Palladium-catalyzed alkenation of thiophenes and furans by regioselective C-H bond functionalization

A palladium-catalyzed direct alkenation of thiophenes and furans has been developed in the presence of AgOAc and pyridine. A variety of olefinic substrates such as acrylates, acrylamides, and acrylonitrile can perform the direct oxidative coupling reactions with various thiophenes and furans to give the mono-alkenylated products in good yields. In most cases, the (E)-isomers were isolated as the major products.     

Selective cis-addition of C-H bonds of pyrroles and thiophenes to alkynes catalyzed by a dinuclear palladium complex

Pyrroles and thiophenes reacted with alkynes in the presence of dinuclear palladium complexes with high stereoselectivity (cis-addition) in almost all cases. While regioselectivity in the reaction with pyrroles depended on substituents on the nitrogen atom and alkynes, all reactions of thiophenes afforded 2-alkenylthiophenes.