Mechanism of the oxidation of sulfides by dioxiranes: conformational mobility and transannular interaction in the oxidation of thianthrene 5-oxide

The detailed study of the oxidation of thianthrene 5-oxide (1) with methyl(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (5b) in different solvents and in the presence of (18)O isotopic tracers is reported. Thianthrene 5-oxide (1) is a flexible molecule in solution, and this property allows for transannular interaction of the sulfoxide group with the expected zwitterionic 7 and hypervalent 10-S-4 sulfurane 9 intermediates formed in the oxidation and biases the course of the reaction toward the monooxygenation pathway.     

Sulfide and sulfoxide oxidations by mono- and diperoxo complexes of molybdenum. A density functional study

The molecular mechanism for the oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and subsequent oxidation to sulfones by diperoxo, MoO(O(2))(2)(OPH(3)) (I), and monoperoxo, MoO(2)(O(2))(OPH(3)) (II), complexes of molybdenum was studied using density functional calculations at the b3lyp level and the transition state theory. Complexes I and II were both found to be active species. Sulfide oxidation by I or II shows similar activation free energy values of 18.5 and 20.9 kcal/mol, respectively, whereas sulfoxides are oxidized by I (deltaG = 20.6 kcal/mol) rather than by II (deltaG = 30.3 kcal/mol). Calculated kinetic and thermodynamic parameters account for the spontaneous overoxidation of sulfides to sulfones as has been experimentally observed. The charge decomposition analysis (CDA) of the calculated transition structures of sulfide and sulfoxide oxidations revealed that I and II are stronger electrophilic oxidants toward sulfides than they are toward sulfoxides.     

Allylic Sulfones Containing Triene Moieties as Key Synthons for Carotenoid Synthesis

An efficient synthetic method for the allylic sulfone 2 containing a conjugated triene moiety has been proposed involving i) coupling of allylic sulfones 4 with the C₅ bromoallylic sulfide 5 , ii) base‐promoted dehydrosulfonation in the presence of allylic sulfide, and iii) selective oxidation of the resulting trienyl sulfide to the corresponding sulfone. Total synthesis of lycopene starting from the C₁₅ allylic sulfone 2b has been described, where the new C₁₀ bis(chloroallylic) sulfone 11 proved to be a useful substitute for the C₁₀ bis(chloroallylic) sulfide 3 , which did not require the problematic chemoselective sulfur oxidation in a conjugated polyene.     

Notizen zur Synthese von 2-Aminophenylsulfonen

Syntheses of some Alkyl, Cycloalkyl and Aryl 2-Aminophenyl Sulfones Syntheses of the alkyl, cycloalkyl and aryl 2-aminophenyl sulfones 10 were achieved by oxidation of the corresponding 2-nitrophenyl sulfides 7 to the 2-nitrophenyl sulfones 9 followed by ethanolic Béchamp-reduction. The sulfides 7 in turn were obtained either by reactions of 2-nitro-thiophenol ( 8 ) with the appropriate alkyl and cycloalkyl halides or of 2-chloro-nitrobenzene ( 5 ) with the relevant thiols. Condensation of 2-nitrobenzenesulfinic acid ( 3 ) with bromoacetic acid in aqueous alkaline solution led - presumably via 2-nitrophenylsulfonylacetic acid ( 4 ) - to methyl 2 nitrophenyl sulfone ( 1 ), reduction of which gave 2-aminophenyl methyl sulfone ( 2 ). Treatment of 2-aminothiophenol ( 11 ) with t-butyl alcohol in aqueous sulfuric acid gave 2-aminophenyl t-butyl sulfide ( 12 ), which was acetylated to o-t-butylthio-acetanilide ( 13 ). Oxidation of the latter to o-t-butylsulfonyl-acetanilide ( 14 ) followed by hydrolysis led to 2-aminophenyl t-butyl sulfone ( 15 ).     

Development of a new carbon-carbon bond forming reaction. new organic chemistry of sulfur dioxide. Asymmetric four-component synthesis of polyfunctional sulfones.

At low temperature 1-alkoxy-1,3-dienes add to sulfur dioxide activated by a Lewis or Br?nstedt acid and generate zwitterionic intermediates that can be quenched by enoxysilanes. The resulting beta,gamma-unsaturated silyl sulfinates can be desilylated and reacted with methyl iodide to provide polyfunctional sulfones. Exploratory studies of this four-component synthesis of sulfones are reported. Enantiomerically pure derivatives containing up to three new stereogenic centers can be obtained using enantiomerically pure (E,E)-1-alkoxy-2-methylpenta-1,3-dienes derived from alpha-methyl benzyl alcohols, including the Greene's chiral auxiliary. The stereochemistry of the reactions is consistent with a mechanism involving the suprafacial hetero-Diels-Alder addition of sulfur dioxide to the 1-alkoxy-1,3-dienes that are rapidly ionized into zwitterionic intermediates.     

Chemo- and diastereoselectivity in the dimethyldioxirane oxidation of 2,3-dihydro-4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-ones and 4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-ones. Unusual reactivity of 4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-one 1-oxides

The oxidation of the 1-thiochromanones 1-3 by dimethyldioxirane (DMD) produced the corresponding sulfoxides 4-6 or sulfones 7-9; their relative amounts depended on the amount of oxidant used. A low diastereoselectivity was observed in the sulfoxidation of the 2-substituted 1-thiochromanones 2 and 3, due to the small steric differentiation during the DMD attack. An unusual reactivity pattern was found in the DMD oxidation of the 1-thiochromones 10-12, in that the sulfoxides 13-15 were more reactive toward the electrophilic oxidizing agent than the corresponding sulfides. The observed anomaly may be explained in terms of transannular stabilization of the transition structure (TS) for the sulfone formation, promoted through favorable conformational effects in the sulfoxide. Higher sulfoxide/sulfone ratios were found in solvents of greater hydrogen bond donor capacity, which is in accordance with the postulated stabilizing effect.     

Oxidation of organic sulfides by vanadium haloperoxidase model complexes

In addition to halide oxidation, the vanadium haloperoxidases are capable of oxidizing sulfides to sulfoxides. Four vanadium complexes with tripodal amine ligands, K[VO(O(2))(heida)] (1), VO(2)(bpg) (2), K[VO(2)(ada)] (3), and K(2)[VO(O(2))(nta)] (4), previously shown to perform bromide oxidation (Colpas, G. J.; Hamstra, B. J.; Kampf, J. W.; Pecoraro, V. L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 3469-3477), have now been shown to oxidize aryl alkyl sulfides to the corresponding sulfoxides. The oxidation was observed by the disappearance of thioanisole's ultraviolet absorption at 290 nm, by the change in the aromatic region of the (1)H NMR spectrum of the sulfides, and by changes in the complexes' (51)V NMR spectra. The amount of methyl phenyl sulfide oxidized in 3 h was 1000 equiv (per metal complex). The oxidation product is almost exclusively sulfoxide, with very little sulfone (less than 3% over a 3 h experiment) formed. This is consistent with an electrophilic oxidation mechanism, as had been proposed for oxidation of bromide by 1-4. The rate was found to be first order in substrate concentration, similar to the rate law observed for bromide oxidation. Unlike the bromide oxidation, the equivalent of acid required for peroxovanadium complex activation is not consumed. The complexes 1-4 are not reactive with styrene or cyclooctene. The relevance of these reactions to the mechanism of the vanadium haloperoxidases and, more generally, peroxovanadium oxygenation of sulfides will be discussed.     

Alloxazine-cyclodextrin conjugates for organocatalytic enantioselective sulfoxidations

Four structurally different alloxazine-cyclodextrin conjugates were prepared and tested as catalysts for the enantioselective oxidation of prochiral sulfides to sulfoxides by hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solutions. The alloxazinium unit was appended to the primary face of α- and β-cyclodextrins via a linker with variable length. A series of sulfides was used as substrates: n-alkyl methyl sulfides (n-alkyl = hexyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl), cyclohexyl methyl sulfide, tert-butyl methyl sulfide, benzyl methyl sulfide and thioanisol. α-Cyclodextrin conjugate having alloxazinium unit attached via a short linker proved to be a suitable catalyst for oxidations of n-alkyl methyl sulfides, displaying conversions up to 98% and enantioselectivities up to 77% ee. β-Cyclodextrin conjugates were optimal catalysts for the oxidation of sulfides carrying bulkier substituents; e.g. tert-butyl methyl sulfide was oxidized with quantitative conversion and 91% ee. Low loadings (0.3-5 mol%) of the catalysts were used. No overoxidation to sulfones was observed in this study.     

Oxygen transfer reactions. 4. Reaction of high valent oxoruthenium compounds with sulfides

The oxidation of methoxy substituted benzyl phenyl sulfides can be used to distinguish between oxidants that react by single electron transfer (followed by oxygen rebound) and those which react by direct oxygen atom transfer in a two-electron process. Transfer of a single electron results in the formation of an intermediate radical cation, which can undergo C-S bond cleavage and deprotonation reactions leading to the formation of methoxy substituted benzyl derivatives, methoxy substituted benzaldehydes, and diphenyl disulfide. The oxidation of 4-methoxybenzyl phenyl sulfide and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl phenyl sulfide by oxidants known to participate in single electron transfers (Ce(4+), Mn(3+), and Cr(6+)) results in the formation of the corresponding benzaldehydes, benzyl alcohols, benzyl acetates, and benzyl nitrates in variable yields. However, the only products obtained from the oxidation of the same compounds with RuO(4), RuO(4-), and RuO(4)(2-) are sulfoxides and sulfones. Therefore, it is concluded that the oxidation of sulfides by oxoruthenium compounds likely proceeds by a concerted mechanism.     

Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling of (Hetero)Aryl Sulfones: Complementary Reactivity Enables Iterative Polyaryl Synthesis

Ideal organic syntheses involve the rapid construction of C?C bonds, with minimal use of functional group interconversions. The Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling (SMC) is a powerful way to form biaryl linkages, but the relatively similar reactivity of electrophilic partners makes iterative syntheses involving more than two sequential coupling events difficult to achieve without additional manipulations. Here we introduce (hetero)aryl sulfones as electrophilic coupling partners for the SMC reaction, which display an intermediate reactivity between those of typical aryl (pseudo)halides and nitroarenes. The new complementary reactivity allows for rapid sequential cross‐coupling of arenes bearing chloride, sulfone and nitro leaving groups, affording non‐symmetric ter‐ and quateraryls in only 2 or 3 steps, respectively. The SMC reactivity of (hetero)aryl sulfones is demonstrated in over 30 examples. Mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations are consistent with oxidative addition into the sulfone C?S bond as the turnover‐limiting step. The further development of electrophilic cross‐coupling partners with complementary reactivity may open new possibilities for divergent iterative synthesis starting from small pools of polyfunctionalized arenes.     

Singlet oxygen promoted carbon-heteroatom bond cleavage in dibenzyl sulfides and tertiary dibenzylamines. Structural effects and the role of exciplexes

The C-heteroatom cleavage reactions of substituted dibenzyl sulfides and substituted dibenzylcyclohexylamines promoted by singlet oxygen in MeCN have been investigated. In both systems, the cleavage reactions (leading to benzaldehyde and substituted benzaldehyde) were slightly favored by electron-withdrawing substituents with rho values of +0.47 (sulfides) and +0.27 (amines). With dibenzyl sulfides, sulfones were also obtained whereas sulfoxide formation became negligible when the reactions were carried out in the presence of a base. Through a careful product study for the oxidation of dibenzyl sulfide, in the presence and in the absence of Ph2SO, it was established that sulfone and cleavage product (benzaldehyde) do not come by the same route (involving the persulfoxide and the hydroperoxysulfonium ylide) as required by the generally accepted mechanism (Scheme 1) for C-heteroatom cleavage reactions of sulfides promoted by singlet oxygen. On this basis and in light of the similar structural effects noted above it is suggested that dibenzyl sulfides and dibenzylamines form benzaldehydes by a very similar mechanism. The reaction with singlet oxygen leads to an exciplex that can undergo an intracomplex hydrogen atom transfer to produce a radical pair. With sulfides, collapse of the radical pair leads to an alpha-hydroperoxy sulfide than can give benzaldehyde by an intramolecular path as described in Scheme 3. With amines, the radical pair undergoes an electron-transfer reaction to form an iminium cation that hydrolyzes to benzaldehyde. From a kinetic study it has been established that the fraction of exciplex converted to aldehyde is ca. 20% with sulfides and ca. 7% with amines.     

Stepwise Oxidation of Thiophene and Its Derivatives by Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Methyltrioxorhenium(VII)

The oxidation of thiophene derivatives by hydrogen peroxide is catalyzed by methyltrioxorhenium(VII) (CH(3)ReO(3)). This compound reacts with hydrogen peroxide to form 1:1 and 1:2 rhenium peroxides, each of which transfers an oxygen atom to the sulfur atom of thiophene and its derivatives. Complete oxidation to the sulfone occurs readily by way of its sulfoxide intermediate. The rates for each oxidation step of dibenzothiophenes, benzothiophenes, and substituted thiophenes were determined. The rate constants for the oxidation of the thiophenes are 2-4 orders of magnitude smaller than those for the oxidation of aliphatic sulfides, whereas the rate constants are generally the same for the oxidation of the thiophene oxides and aliphatic sulfoxides. The rate constant for conversion of a sulfide to a sulfoxide (thiophene oxide) increases when a more electron-donating substituent is introduced into the molecule, whereas the opposite trend was found for the reaction that converts a sulfoxide to a sulfone (thiophene dioxide). Mechanisms consistent with this are proposed. The first trend reflects the attack of the nucleophilic sulfur atom of a thiophene center on a peroxide that has been electrophilically activated by coordination to rhenium. The second, more subtle, trend arises when both sulfoxide and peroxide are coordinated to rhenium; the inherently greater nucleophilicity of peroxide then takes control.     

Electronic and steric effects on the oxygenation of organic sulfides and sulfoxides with oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes

The kinetics of oxygenation of several para-substituted phenyl methyl sulfides and sulfoxides with a series of 5-substituted and sterically hindered oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes have been studied by a spectrophotometric technique. Though the reaction of sulfides follows simple second-order kinetics, sulfoxides bind strongly with the metal center of the oxidant and the oxygen atom is transferred from the oxidant-sulfoxide adduct to the substrate. The reduction potentials, E(red), of eight Cr(V) complexes correlate well with the Hammett sigma constants, and the reactivity of the metal complexes is in accordance with the E(red) values. The metal complexes carrying bulky tert-butyl groups entail steric effects. Organic sulfides follow a simple electrophilic oxidation mechanism, and the nonligated sulfoxides undergo electrophilic oxidation to sulfones using the oxidant-sulfoxide adduct as the oxidant. Sulfoxides catalyze the Cr(V)-salen complexes' oxygenation of organic sulfides, and the catalytic activity of sulfoxides is comparable to pyridine N-oxide and triphenylphosphine oxide. The rate constants obtained for the oxidation of sulfides and sulfoxides clearly indicate the operation of a pronounced electronic and steric effect in the oxygenation reaction with oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes.     

Hydrogen peroxide oxidation of mustard-model sulfides catalyzed by iron and manganese tetraarylporphyrines. Oxygen transfer to sulfides versus H(2)O(2) dismutation and catalyst breakdown.

Fe(III)- and Mn(III)-meso-tetraarylporphyrin catalysis of H(2)O(2) oxidation of dibenzyl and phenyl-2-chloroethyl sulfides, 1, is investigated in ethanol with the aim of designing catalytic systems for mustard decontamination. The sulfide conversion, the sulfoxide and sulfone yields, the oxygen transfer from H(2)O(2) to the sulfide, and the catalyst stability depend markedly on the metal, on the substituents of its ligand, and on the presence or the absence of a cocatalyst, imidazole or ammonium acetate. With Fe, sulfones, the only oxidation products, are readily obtained whatever the ligand (TPP, F(20)TPP, or TDCPP) and the cocatalyst; the oxygen transfer is fairly good, up to 95% when the catalyst concentration is small ([1]/[Cat] = 420); the catalyst breakdown is insignificant only in the absence of any cocatalyst. With Mn, the sulfide conversion is achieved completely when the ligand is TDCPP or TSO(3)PP, but not F(20)TPP or TPP; a mixture of sulfoxide, 2, and sulfone, 3, is always obtained with [2]/[3] = 3.5-0.85 depending on the ligand and the cocatalyst (electron withdrawing substituents favor 3 and NH(4)OAc, 2). The catalyst stability is very good, but the oxygen transfer is poor whatever the ligand and the cocatalyst. These results are discussed in terms of a scheme in which sulfide oxygenation, H(2)O(2) dismutation, and oxidative ligand breaking compete. It is shown that the efficiency of the oxygen transfer is related not only to the rate constant of the dismutation route but also to the concentration of the active metal-oxo intermediate, most likely a perferryl or permanganyl species, i.e., to the rate of its formation.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed [2+2] cycloadditions of alkynyl sulfides and alkynyl sulfones

Ruthenium-catalyzed [2+2] cycloadditions of bicyclic alkenes with alkynyl sulfides and alkynyl sulfones were investigated. The sulfide and sulfone moieties were found to be compatible with the Ru-catalyzed cycloadditions, giving the corresponding cyclobutene cycloadducts in good yields. The sulfonyl-containing cycloadducts can be transformed into a variety of products that are difficult to obtain via direct cycloaddition.     

Mechanism of sulfide oxidations by peroxymonocarbonate

A detailed mechanism for the oxidation of aryl sulfides by peroxymonocarbonate ion in cosolvent/water media is described. Kinetic studies were performed to characterize the transition state, including a Hammett correlation and variation of solvent composition. The results are consistent with a charge-separated transition state relative to the reactants, with an increase of positive charge on the sulfur following nucleophilic attack of the sulfide at the electrophilic oxygen of peroxymonocarbonate. In addition, an average solvent isotope effect of 1.5 +/- 0.2 for most aryl sulfide oxidations is consistent with proton transfer in the transition state of the rate-determining step. Activation parameters for oxidation of ethyl phenyl sulfide in tert-butyl alcohol/water are reported. From the pH dependence of oxidation rates and (13)C NMR equilibrium experiments, the estimated pK(a) of peroxymonocarbonate was found to be approximately 10.6.     

Substituent-dictated partitioning of intermediates on the sulfide singlet oxygen reaction surface. A new mechanism for oxidative C--S bond cleavage in alpha-hydroperoxy sulfides.

The reactions of singlet oxygen with 17 sulfides bearing either anion or radical stabilizing substituents are reported. The abilities of substituents to modify product compositions in both the oxidative cleavage and sulfide oxidation pathways are analyzed in terms of partitioning of the hydroperoxy sulfonium ylide intermediate. Evidence is presented that suggests that the hydroperoxy sulfonium ylide exists in both diradical and zwitterionic forms. In addition, both inter- and intramolecular pathways for decomposition of alpha-hydroperoxy sulfides are suggested to rationalize the substituent-dependent formation of oxidative C--S bond cleavage products.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of some organic sulfides by morpholinium chlorochromate

The oxidation of organic sulfides by morpholinium chlorochromate (MCC) resulted in the formation of the corresponding sulfoxides. The reaction is first order with respect to both MCC and the sulfide. The reaction is catalyzed by toluene‐p‐sulfonic acid (TsOH). The oxidation was studied in 19 different organic solvents. An analysis of the solvent effect by Swain's equation showed that both the cation‐ and anion‐solvating powers of the solvents play important roles. The correlation analyses of the rate of oxidation of 34 sulfides were performed in terms of various single and multiparametric equations. For the aryl methyl sulfides, the best correlation is obtained with Charton's localized‐delocalized‐resonance and localized‐delocalized‐resonance‐steric equations. The oxidation of alkyl phenyl sulfides exhibited a very good correlation in terms of the Pavelich–Taft equation. The polar reaction constants are negative, indicating an electron‐deficient sulfur center in the rate‐determining step. A mechanism involving formation of a sulfonium cation intermediate in the slow step has been proposed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 65–72, 2009     

Evidence of Two Key Intermediates Contributing to the Selectivity of P450‐Biomimetic Oxidation of Sulfides to Sulfoxides and Sulfones

A mild process for the selective oxidation of sulfides is in great demand. Therefore, probing the mechanism underlying the biological oxidation of sulfides under ambient conditions may provide valuable insights for the development of such a reaction. Based on porphyrin models of P450 enzymes, evidence of two key intermediates, Int0 and Int1 , in this reaction is provided. Spectroscopic studies indicated the formation of a hydroperoxide‐iron(III) species ( Int0 ) upon addition of H₂O₂. This intermediate proved to be highly selective for sulfoxide production. By contrast, a defined porphyrin oxoiron(IV) cation radical ( Int1 ) directly reacted with sulfoxides, leading selectively to the corresponding sulfones. Interestingly, the available sulfoxides reversibly act as a new axial ligand for Int0 forming a more active species Int0 _SO. The amount of Int0 increased in the presence of alkyl, aryl, or aromatic sulfides, while Int1 formed in the absence of these sulfides. Thus, sulfoxides and sulfones would selectively form under conditions that favor the corresponding intermediates, which elucidate the biological oxidation pathway.     

One-pot oxidation of sulfides to sulfones by reusable heterogeneous ruthenium catalyst in the presence of molecular oxygen

A reusable solid catalyst, MnFe_1.8Cu_0.15Ru_0.05O₄, has been developed as an effective catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of sulfides and sulfoxides to sulfones. The ruthenium modified spinel catalyst is the first example reported for such reaction under mild condition with molecular oxygen as the only oxidant. The oxidation reaction proceeded via an electrophilic attack of the oxygen atom of the catalyst on the electron-rich sulfur atom of the substrate.