Sulfoxide-controlled SN2′ displacements between cuprates and vinyl and alkynyl epoxy sulfoxides

The S_N2′ displacement of readily available vinyl epoxy sulfoxides with organocopper reagents takes place in good yields with high anti selectivity and a good degree of E/Z stereocontrol to produce enantiopure α-hydroxy vinyl sulfoxides. A second allylic displacement on the related mesyloxy vinyl sulfoxides allows for the asymmetric construction of two adjacent chiral centers. In addition, cuprate mediated S_N2′ addition to alkynyl epoxy sulfoxides affords α-hydroxy allenyl sulfoxides in good yields.     

Hydrotelluration and carbotelluration of acetylenic sulfoxides: regio- and stereoselective preparation of α- and β-organotellurovinyl sulfoxides

(Z)-β-Organotellurovinyl sulfoxides were synthesized via a highly regio- and stereoselective anti-hydrotelluration of acetylenic sulfoxides. α-Organotellurovinyl sulfoxides were obtained from a three component syn-carbotelluration reaction of acetylenic sulfoxides, that is, syn-addition of monoorganocopper reagents to acetylenic sulfoxides followed by the electrophilic reaction of the vinyl copper intermediates with benzenetellurenyl iodide at low temperature. Synthetic applications of the organotellurovinyl sulfoxides have been investigated.     

Highly regio- and stereoselective PdCl2(MeCN)2-catalyzed cross coupling of 1,2-allenylic sulfoxides with allyl bromide

2-Allyl-1(E),3(E)-dienyl sulfoxides were prepared highly stereoselectively via the PdCl₂(MeCN)₂-catalyzed coupling reaction of 1,2-allenylic sulfoxides and allyl bromide. A rationale was proposed for this transformation.     

A practical synthesis of 4′-thioribonucleosides

A practical synthesis of 4′-thioribonucleosides starting from inexpensive l-arabinose is described. 1,4-Anhydro-2,3-O-isopropylidene-4-thioribitol, which was prepared by using a novel reductive ring-contraction reaction, was converted to the 5-O-silylated sulfoxides. The Pummerer-type thioglycosylation of the sulfoxides gave the 4′-thioribonucleosides stereoselectively.     

Sulfides,sulfones, and sulfoxides of the furan-2(5H)-one series. synthesis and structure

A number of 4- and 5-R-sulfanylfuran-2(5H)-one derivatives were synthesized, and their oxidation with various reagents was studied. The corresponding sulfones were obtained using hydrogen peroxide in acetic acid. 4-R-sulfanyl derivatives were selectively oxidized to sulfoxides with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid. The molecular and crystal structures of some new sulfones and sulfoxides were determined by X-ray analysis.     

A new synthesis of cyclic α-amino acid derivatives by the intramolecular reaction of magnesium carbenoid with N-magnesio arylamine as the key reaction

A new synthesis of pipecolic acid and homopipecolic acid derivative was accomplished from 1-chloroalkyl p-tolyl sulfoxides having a 2-aminophenyl group at the ω-position by treatment with i-PrMgCl via the intramolecular reaction of magnesium carbenoid with N-magnesio arylamine. In a similar way, proline and pipecolic acid derivatives were synthesized from 1-chloroalkyl p-tolyl sulfoxides having an arylamino group at the ω-position.     

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.     

cis-Carbocuperation of acetylenic sulfoxides and corresponding applications in the regio- and stereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted vinyl sulfoxides

cis-Carbocuperation reaction of monoorganocopper reagent with acetylenic sulfoxides, followed by electrophilic reaction with a variety of electrophiles, provided a regio- and stereoselective method to prepare the versatile polysubstituted vinyl sulfoxides. Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction of the obtained α-iodovinyl sulfoxides with terminal acetylenes was also investigated to afford the versatile conjugate sulfinyl enynes.     

An efficient preparation of 1-phenylsulfonylindolyl methyl sulfoxides using KF/m-CPBA

A variety of 1-phenylsulfonylindolylmethyl sulfides are selectively oxidized to the corresponding sulfoxides using a hitherto unexplored KF/m-CPBA system. A major advantage is the absence of over-oxidation.     

Kinetic resolution of phenyl methyl sulfoxides by mammalian methionine sulfoxide reductase A

Chiral sulfoxides are widely used in organic synthesis as chiral auxiliaries. There are numerous strategies for the preparation of enantiomerically pure sulfoxides, based either on the enantioselective oxidation of sulphides or the enantiospecific reduction of sulfoxides. For both cases, bioconversion techniques have been developed and proposed for large-scale synthesis. Methionine sulfoxide reductase enzymes (MsrA and MsrB) catalyse the stereoselective conversion of methionine sulfoxide to methionine. MsrA can also catalyse the reduction of other exogenous sulfoxides, including p-tolyl methyl sulfoxide. However, the stereoselectivity towards this type of substrate is not yet well characterized. The activity and enantioselectivity of MsrA toward several aryl methyl sulfoxides is presented in this paper.     

Catalytic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes or ketones using osmium–oxo complexes with sulfoxides or N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide as the co-oxidant: a comparative study

A catalytic amount of osmium tetroxide in association with sulfoxides or N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide can be used to catalyse the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds.     

A novel route to fully substituted cyanoallenes from three components, ketones, chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, and nitriles, via α-bromocyclopropyl p-tolyl sulfoxides

Treatment of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were derived from ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide in high yields, with lithium α-carbanion of nitriles gave the adducts in quantitative yields. The adducts were converted to α-bromocyclopropyl p-tolyl sulfoxides in two steps in good yields. Finally, the sulfoxides were treated with excess lithium carbanion of isobutyronitrile to afford fully substituted cyanoallenes in high to quantitative yields via sulfoxide-lithium exchange reaction. This procedure offers a novel synthetic method for fully substituted cyanoallenes with coupling of three components (ketones, chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, and nitriles) in good overall yields.     

New synthesis of multi-substituted α-chlorocyclobutanones from 1-chloro-3-cyanoalkyl p-tolyl sulfoxides by 4-Exo-Dig nucleophilic ring closure of magnesium carbenoids to nitrile group as the key reaction

1-Chloro-3-cyanoalkyl p-tolyl sulfoxides were easily prepared from 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were synthesized from carbonyl compounds and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, with lithium α-cyano carbanion of acetonitrile derivatives in good yields. Treatment of these sulfoxides with i-PrMgCl resulted in the formation of multi-substituted α-chlorocyclobutanones in good to high yields via the 4-Exo-Dig nucleophilic ring closure of the generated magnesium carbenoid intermediates to the nitrile group. This procedure provides a new and good way for the synthesis of multi-substituted α-chlorocyclobutanones from carbonyl compounds and substituted acetonitriles with formation of three carbon–carbon bonds in relatively short steps.     

Lewis acid-promoted electron transfer deoxygenation of epoxides, sulfoxides, and amine N-oxides: the role of low-valent niobium complexes from NbCl5 and Zn

A mild and operationally simple deoxygenation of epoxides, sulfoxides, and amine N-oxides is described using a sub-stoichiometric amount of low-valent niobium complexes generated in situ from commercially available NbCl₅ and zinc dust. The deoxygenation proceeds by a reductive cleavage of polarized O-C/O-N/O-S bonds through a single electron transfer from zinc metal to the niobium-substrate complex due to the high oxophilic nature of the niobium species. The presence of adjacent radical-stabilizing groups is beneficial to epoxide substrates; however the similar prerequisite does not apply to sulfoxides and amine N-oxides, where a broad range of substrates are efficiently deoxygenated in excellent yields.     

A new synthesis, including asymmetric synthesis, of alkylidenecyclopropanes by 1,2-CC insertion of cyclobutylmagnesium carbenoides as the key reaction

Treatment of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, derived from ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, with lithium enolate of carboxylic acid tert-butyl esters gave adducts in high yields. The adducts were converted to 1-chlorocyclobutyl p-tolyl sulfoxides in four steps in high overall yields. Treatment of the 1-chlorocyclobutyl p-tolyl sulfoxides with cyclopentylmagnesium chloride in THF at −40 °C resulted in the formation of cyclobutylmagnesium carbenoids. The magnesium carbenoid 1,2-CC insertion reaction took place smoothly from the cyclobutylmagnesium carbenoids to afford alkylidenecyclopropanes in good to high yields. An asymmetric synthesis of optically active alkylidenecyclopropane was successfully achieved starting from optically active 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxide.     

Selective oxidations of sulfides to sulfoxides using immobilised cerium alkyl phosphonate

A range of sulfides can be selectively oxidised to the corresponding sulfoxides in good yields using catalytic quantities of immobilised cerium alkyl phosphonate and either sodium bromate or tert-butyl hydroperoxide as oxidants.     

Inclusion compounds of l,d-dipeptide with small sulfoxides: flexible sheet structure of (S)-phenylglycyl-(R)-phenylglycine

A heterochiral l,d-dipeptide, (S)-phenylglycyl-(R)-phenylglycine (SR-1), formed inclusion compounds with some small dialkyl sulfoxides. By their single-crystal X-ray analyses, we observed monolayer structures, where SR-1 molecules are arranged in parallel to construct a wavy sheet. The sulfoxides were accommodated in a channel cavity between the monolayers of SR-1 by hydrogen bonding with ⁺NH₃ of SR-1. Notably, the sheet of SR-1 is so flexible to change its wavy degree in response to the volume of the included sulfoxides. Furthermore, we could analyze the structure of crystalline SR-1 without any sulfoxide, which has a bilayer structure.     

Triazolopyridines. Part 26: The preparation of novel [1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine sulfoxides

The regioselective synthesis of new triazolopyridine halides and sulfoxides with the substituent in all different ring positions of [1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridines is presented. The triazolo ring opening reaction of some representative sulfoxides to obtain disubstituted pyridines is also studied.     

Studies on the highly regio- and stereoselective selenohydroxylation of 1,2-allenylic sulfoxides with PhSeCl

The selenohydroxylation of 1,2-allenyl sulfoxides with PhSeCl in MeCN/H₂O (10/1) afforded E-3-hydroxy-2-phenylseleno-1-alkenyl sulfoxides in good yields and high regio-/stereoselectivities.     

Molecular recognition of l-leucyl-l-alanine: enantioselective inclusion of alkyl methyl sulfoxides

A simple aliphatic dipeptide, l-leucyl-l-alanine (Leu-Ala), includes several alkyl methyl sulfoxides enantioselectively to form inclusion crystals. From single-crystal X-ray analyses of three inclusion compounds of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), isobutyl methyl sulfoxide, and benzyl methyl sulfoxide, it was elucidated that Leu-Ala molecules self-assemble to form layer structures and the sulfoxides are included via hydrogen bonding in a cavity between these layers. The inclusion cavity has methyl group and isobutyl group at its each side, and the guest sulfoxide is placed in such a manner that its methyl group faces toward the methyl of the Leu-Ala cavity. When the alkyl group of the sulfoxide is comparably large, it is located in the residual space of the cavity to attain effective crystal packing. Thus, the sulfoxides having a comparably large group such as isobutyl, butyl, and benzyl are included with a high (R)-enantioselectivity in Leu-Ala crystals.