An efficient synthesis of isothiazolidines via sulfonium ylides formed by the reaction of thietanes and nitrene

An efficient synthesis of isothiazolidines in good yields is described.     

PhI(OAc)2-mediated additions of 2,4-dinitrophenylsulfenamide with methylenecyclopropanes (MCPs) and a methylenecyclobutane (MCB)

We report herein stereoselective additions of a nitrene derived from PhI(OAc)₂ and 2,4-dinitrophenylsulfenamide with methylenecyclopropanes (MCPs) and a methylenecyclobutane (MCB) to give the corresponding ring enlargement products, (cyclobutylidene)amide or (cyclopentylidene)amide derivatives, in moderate to excellent yields. The reaction mechanism has been discussed on the basis of control experiments and previous investigation.     

Redox Self‐Adaptation of a Nitrene Transfer Catalyst to the Substrate Needs

The development of iron catalysts for carbon–heteroatom bond formation, which has attracted strong interest in the context of green chemistry and nitrene transfer, has emerged as the most promising way to versatile amine synthetic processes. A diiron system was previously developed that proved efficient in catalytic sulfimidations and aziridinations thanks to an Fe^IIIFe^IV active species. To deal with more demanding benzylic and aliphatic substrates, the catalyst was found to activate itself to a Fe^IIIFe^IVL^. active species able to catalyze aliphatic amination. Extensive DFT calculations show that this activation event drastically enhances the electron affinity of the active species to match the substrates requirements. Overall this process consists in a redox self‐adaptation of the catalyst to the substrate needs.     

Persistent Organic High‐Spin Trinitrenes

The septet ground state trinitrenes 1,3,5‐trichloro‐2,4,6‐trinitrenobenzene and 1,3,5‐tribromo‐2,4,6‐trinitrenobenzene were isolated in inert (Ar, Ne, and Xe) as well as reactive matrices (H₂, O₂, and H₂O) at cryogenic temperatures. These trinitrenes were obtained in high yields by UV photolysis of the corresponding triazides and characterized by IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The trinitrenes, despite bearing six unpaired electrons, are remarkably unreactive towards molecular oxygen and hydrogen and are persistent in water ice up to 160 K where the water matrix starts to sublime off.