On the syntheses and some reactions of bis- and tris(methylthio)thiophenes

Reaction between various thienyllithium derivatives and dimethyl disulfide has been used for the preparation of 2,5-, 2,3-, and 3,4-bis(methylthio)thiophenes, as well as 2,3,4- and 2,3,5-tris(methylthio)thiophenes. Bromination of (methylthio)thiophenes with N-bromosuccinimide was found to be most convenient for the preparation of brominated (methylthio)thiophenes such as 3-bromo-2,5-bis(methylthio)- and 5-bromo-2,3-bis(methylthio)thiophene, 3,4-dibromo-2,5-bis(methylthio)-, 2,5-dibromo-3,4-bis(methylthio)- and 2,3-dibromo-4,5-bis(methylthio)thiophene as well as 3-bromo-2,4,5-tris(methylthio)thiophene. The reaction of methylthio substituted thienyllithium derivatives with methyl chloroformate was used for the syntheses of methyl methylthio substituted thiophenecarboxylates and using 1/3 of an equivalent for the direct preparation of methylthio substituted 3-thienylcarbinols as tris2,4,5-tris(methylthio)-3-thienyl]carbinol.