Helical polycyclic aromatics containing thiophenes: synthesis and properties

A series of planar and non-planar (helical) thiophene-based polycyclic aromatics has been synthesized through the Diels-Alder reaction followed by decarbonylation reactions and FeCl₃ oxidative cyclizations.     

Design and synthesis of new donor-acceptor type conjugated copolymers derived from thiophenes

A new series of donor-acceptor type poly(thiophene) derivatives (P1-P3) were synthesized starting from thiodiglycolic acid and diethyl oxalate through multistep reactions. In the final step, the polymerization was carried out using Wittig reaction. This is a good synthetic route for the preparation of any desired p- and n-type copolymers. The optical and potential charge-transporting properties of the copolymers were investigated by UV-vis, fluorescence emission spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The copolymers exhibited bluish-green/green fluorescence in their thin film forms. Cyclic voltammetry experiments showed that these copolymers have low-lying LUMO energy levels ranging from −2.98 to −3.11 eV and high lying HOMO energy levels ranging from −5.45 to −5.65 eV. The optical and electrochemical studies reveal that new copolymers are new promising materials for the development of efficient polymer light emitting diodes.     

New thermotropic liquid crystals derived from thiophenes

Properties of new homologous series of low molecular mass thermotropic liquid crystals containing non-linear mesogenic cores, 2,5-thiophene (T) and 2,2'-bithio-phene (BT), are presented for the purpose of refining molecular structural prerequisities for liquid crystallinity. Herein we focus on the effect of core linearity on mesophase stability. The bis(p-alkoxyphenyl) dicarboxylate derivatives containing the bent T and kinked BT central units are found to form enantiotropic liquid crystal phases with nematic and smectic polymorphism, depending on the length of their terminal chains. All members of the non-linear T and BT homologous series have narrower mesomorphic temperature ranges than the corresponding compounds with linear central units (p-phenylene and 4, 4'-biphenyl); liquid crystallinity is not found in the analogous m-phenylene derivatives. This finding is consonant with the established principles of prolate mesogen structural requirements, i.e. core linearity is closely related to liquid crystal phase formation and deviation from core linearity lowers mesophase stability. The results of this study indicate that the 2,5-thiophene and 2,2'-bithiophene moieties with non-linear structures are viable mesogenic core units and may be substituted for p-phenylene units in conventional liquid crystal molecules. Moreover, these moieties should be particularly useful for modifying the transition temperatures of liquid-crystalline polymers.     

Analysis of intermediates from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation

A major difficulty in assessing bioremediation in hydrocarbon impacted field sites is the determination of the extent and products of contaminant biodegradation. Previously, various analytical techniques, including mass spectrometry and chromatography, have been used to characterize components in mixtures resulting from biodegradation. In this work, the applicability of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to this area of research is demonstrated. CE methods were optimized for analysis of compounds that are known metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) biodegradation.     

General synthesis of polysubstituted thiophenes from diketo sulfides

Treatment of diketo sulfides with a low-valent titanium reagent at 0 °C (in two cases at room temperature) affords 3,4-dihydroxythiolanes in good yields. The acid-catalyzed (p-toluenesulfonic acid) dehydration of the latter compounds leads to the corresponding thiophenes in excellent yields.     

Regioselective synthesis of poly-substituted thiophenes from Baylis-Hillman adducts

The reaction of Baylis-Hillman acetates and ethyl mercaptoacetate in the presence of DBU in DMF produced 2,3,4-trisubstituted tetrahydrothiophenes at room temperature as a diastereomeric mixture via the sequential S_N2′ and Michael addition. Aromatization of tetrahydrothiophenes by DDQ oxidation produced 2,3,4-trisubstituted thiophenes in good yields.     

Functionalizable polycyclic aromatics through oxidative cyclization of pendant thiophenes

We present a general strategy for obtaining large sulfur-containing polycyclic aromatics from thienyl precursors through iron(III) chloride mediated oxidative cyclizations. By placing thienyl moieties in close proximity to adjacent arenes, we have directed the oxidized intermediates into controlled cyclization pathways, effectively suppressing polymer formation. Utilizing these cyclized compounds and their thienyl precursors, we have studied cyclization/polymerization pathways of polymers such as poly(2). The unsubstituted positions alpha to the sulfur atoms within these aromatic cores allowed for efficient halogenation and further functionalization. As a demonstration, we prepared a series of arylene-ethynylene polymers with varying degrees of chromophore aromatization and used them to probe the effects of synthetically imposed rigidity on polymer photophysical behavior. The symmetries and effective conjugation pathways within the monomers play a key role in determining photophysical properties. We observed that rigid, aromatized chromophores generally led to increased excited-state lifetimes by decreasing radiative rates of fluorescence decay.     

Cycloaddition of silylene protecting dihydroxystyrene derived from ortho-hydroxyacetophenone: one-step synthesis of peri-hydroxylated polycyclic compounds

Thermal treatment of the silylene protecting dihydroxystyrene derived from o-hydroxyacetophenone with dienophiles caused a [4+2]cycloaddition to give the corresponding peri-hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic compounds in a single step.     

The chemistry of polycyclic arene imines. III. N-alkylation of phenanthrene 9,10-imineN-alkylation of phenanthrene 9,10-imine

Phenanthrene 9,10-imine ( 1 ) was shown to undergo N-alkylation without aziridine ring cleavage by (a) metallation with sodium methylsulfinylmethide followed by addition of an alkyl halide at −20° (b) reaction of 1 , sodium hydride and the halide in dimethylformamide at 40° (c) treatment of a dichloromethane solution of 1 , the halide and triethylbenzylammonium chloride with aqueous sodium hydroxide under phase transfer conditions. The syntheses of N-isopropyl-, N-butyl-, N-pentyl-, N-allyl- and N-benzylphenanthrene 9,10-imine ( 2–6 ) are described.     

Angular polycyclic thiophenes containing two thiophene rings. I

We describe the synthesis of thieno[2,3-c]dibenzothiophene ( 6 ), thieno[3,2-c]dibenzothiophene ( 10 ), thieno-[3,2-a]dibenzothiophene ( 14 ), thieno[2,3-a]dibenzothiophene ( 16 ), benzo[1,2-b:4,3-b]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 18 ), benzo[1,2--6:3,4-b]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 20 ), benzo[2,1--6:3,4-b]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 22 ), benzo[1,2-b:3,4-g]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 27 ), benzo[1,2-b:4,3-e]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 29 ), benzo[2,1--6:3,4-g]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 36 ), benzo[2,1--6:4,3-e]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 38 ), benzo[1,2--6:4,3-g]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 41 ), benzo[1,2-b:4,5-g]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 42 ), benzo[1,2-b:3,4-e]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 44 ) and benzo-[1,2-b:5,4-e]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 45 ).     

A versatile one-pot synthesis of 2,3,5-tri-substituted thiophenes from thiomorpholides

An efficient method for the preparation of 2,3,5-trisubstituted thiophenes in a one-pot synthesis from thiomorpholides via the thio-Claisen rearrangement was developed.     

The synthesis of condensed 1,3,5-triazinium perchlorates from diazaiminium intermediates

The known azaiminium intermediate, 1-chloro-1,3-bis(dimethylamino)-3-phenyl-2-azaprop-2-en-1-ylium perchlorate 1 [1], reacts with 2-aminothiazole to yield the fully conjugated condensed 1,3,5-triazinium salt 7 . Various suitably substituted heterocyclic compounds react similarly to afford the corresponding condensed 1,3,5-triazinium salts. The diazaiminium intermediates 2–5 obtained from several secondary amides give identical products when treated with the same starting compounds. The procedure appears to be of wide application.     

Regioselective synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted thiophenes

A highly regioselective route was established to 2-aryl-, 2-cyclohexyl-, and 2-(2-arylethyl)4-alkylthiophenes, which are potential candidates as liquid crystalline compounds of low viscosity. The key synthetic intermediates, 2-substituted-4-(chloromethyl)thiophenes 6, 14, and 20 were prepared respectively from the reactions of β, γ-epoxycarbonyl compounds 5, 13, and 19 with Lawesson's reagent in the presence of a catalytic amount of p -toluenesulfonic acid. The epoxycarbonyl compounds were obtained from the TiCl₄-mediated reactions of 2-(chloromethyl)-3-(trimethylsliyl)propene (10) with acid chlorides followed by epoxidation with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, or from prior epoxidation followed by oxidation with pyridinium dichromate of homoallylic alcohols 3. The homoallylic alcohols 3 were synthesized from the reactions of 2-(chloromethyl)-3-(trichlorosilyl)propene (2) with aldehydes in N, N-dimethylformamide. Copper (I) catalysed cross-coupling reactions of 2-substituted-4-(bromomethyl)thiophenes (which were prepared by transhalogenation of 2-substituted-4- (chloromethyl)thiophenes with NaBr in acetone) with Grignard reagents afforded 2,4-disubstituted thiophenes. Using this method, eleven 2,4-disubstituted thiophenes were synthesized and their potentials as liquid crystalline compound of low viscosity were examined. The synthesized 2-(4-cyanophenyl)-4-pentylthiophene was observed to have a lower melting point than the corresponding 2,5-disubstituted thiophene. This observation is consistent with the expectation from the basis of molecular linearity which can affect the viscosity and/or melting point of crystalline compounds.     

Angular polycyclic thiophenes containing two thiophene rings. Part II

The syntheses of naphtho[1,2–6:7,6-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 4 ), naphtho[1,2–6:7,8-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 5 ), naphtho[2,1-b:7,6-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 8 ), naphtho[2,1-b:7,8-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 9 ), naphtho-[1,2–6:5,6-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 14 ), naphtho[1,2–6:6,5-b]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 17 ) and naphtho[2,1–6:-6,5-b′]bisbenzo[b]thiophene ( 23 ) are reported.     

Palladium-catalysed direct synthesis of benzo[b]thiophenes from thioenols

The one-pot conversion of thioenols into benzo[b]thiophenes was achieved by using a simple palladium catalyst such as PdCl(2) or PdCl(2)(cod).     

The diastereoselective synthesis of quaternary substituted thioindolines from sulfur ylide intermediates

The Rh(II)-catalyzed coupling of chiral 2-thiopyranylindoles with vinyl diazoacetates results in the generation of indolines having quaternary substitution at C3 in high diastereoselectivity.     

A practical, one-pot synthesis of highly substituted thiophenes and benzo[b]thiophenes from bromoenynes and o-alkynylbromobenzenes

An efficient synthesis of thiophenes and benzo[b]thiophenes has been developed from easily available bromoenynes and o-alkynylbromobenzene derivatives. This novel one-pot procedure involves a Pd-catalyzed C-S bond formation using a hydrogen sulfide surrogate followed by a heterocyclization reaction. Moreover, in situ functionalization with selected electrophiles further expands the potential of this methodology to the preparation of the corresponding highly substituted sulfur heterocycles.