3-Oxo-1,2-benzoisothiazoline-2-acetic acid 1,1-dioxide derivatives. I. Reaction of esters with alkoxides

Reaction of 3-oxo-1,2-benzoisothiazoline-2-acetic acid alkyl esters 1,1-dioxide ( 1a-d ) with alkaline alkoxides was carried out under various conditions. Under mild conditions, o-(N-carboxymethylsulfamyl)benzoic acids dialkyl esters ( 2a-d ) were obtained with good yields. Reaction of 1a-d or 2a-d with sodium alkoxides under drastic conditions afforded 4-hydroxy-2H-1,2-benzothiazine-3-carboxylic acid alkyl esters 1,1-dioxide ( 3a-d ). Transesterification was observed when esters 1b-d were treated with sodium methoxide in methanol. Esters 3a-d were hydrolyzed in concentrated aqueous sodium hydroxide affording the acid 6 . Attempts to recrystallize 6 from water resulted in its decarboxylation to give 2H-1,2-benzothiazine-4-(3H)one 1,1-dioxide (7). Compound 6 could not be obtained by acid hydrolysis of esters 3a-d or by rearrangement of 3-oxo-1,2-benzoisothiazoline-2-acetic acid 1,1-dioxide ( 8 ). Different experimental evidence supports the suggestion that rearrangement took place by ethanolysis of the carboxamide linkage affording the open sulfonamides (fast step) followed by a Dieckmann cyclization (slow step). It was demonstrated that transesterification took place in the open sulfonamides 2 .