Chemistry of thienopyridines. XXXVI. Further studies on nitration in the thieno[2,3-b]- and thieno[3,2-b]pyridine systems

Three compounds, thieno[3,2-b]pyridine 4-oxide, 7-nitrothieno[3,2-b]pyridine 4-oxide ( 1 c), and 6-cyano-thieno[2,3-b]pyridine, undergo nitration by means of a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids to yield 3,7-dinitro-thieno[3,2-b]pyridine (3%), 3,7-dinitrothieno[3,2-b]pyridine 4-oxide ( 1d ) (26%), and 6-carbamoyl-5-nitrothieno[2,3-b]pyridine ( 6b ) (11%), respectively. Structures of the products were ascertained by spectral means, notably infrared, ¹H nmr, and ¹³C nmr. It is proposed that 1d exists (at least in part) as a tricyclic structure and that 6b may result from an intramolecular mechanism of nitration. An attempt to de-N-oxygenate 1c with excess triphenylphosphine removes more than one oxygen atom per molecule (as triphenylphosphine oxide) without producing an identified thienopyridine product.