Synthesis of 1,3‐Selenazol‐2(3H)‐imines

The reaction of N,N′‐diarylselenoureas 16 with phenacyl bromide in EtOH under reflux, followed by treatment with NH₃, gave N,3‐diaryl‐4‐phenyl‐1,3‐selenazol‐2(3H)‐imines 13 in high yields (Scheme 2). A reaction mechanism via formation of the corresponding Se‐(benzoylmethyl)isoselenoureas 18 and subsequent cyclocondensation is proposed (Scheme 3). The N,N′‐diarylselenoureas 16 were conveniently prepared by the reaction of aryl isoselenocyanates 15 with 4‐substituted anilines. The structures of 13a and 13c were established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Reactions of Stable α‐Chlorosulfanyl Chlorides with CS‐Functionalized Compounds

The smooth reaction of 3‐chloro‐3‐(chlorosulfanyl)‐2,2,4,4‐tetramethylcyclobutanone ( 3 ) with 3,4,5‐trisubstituted 2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐imidazole‐2‐thiones 8 and 2‐thiouracil ( 10 ) in CH₂Cl₂/Et₃N at room temperature yielded the corresponding disulfanes 9 and 11 (Scheme 2), respectively, via a nucleophilic substitution of Cl^? of the sulfanyl chloride by the S‐atom of the heterocyclic thione. The analogous reaction of 3‐cyclohexyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐4,5‐diphenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐2‐thione ( 8b ) and 10 with the chlorodisulfanyl derivative 16 led to the corresponding trisulfanes 17 and 18 (Scheme 4), respectively. On the other hand, the reaction of 3 and 4,4‐dimethyl‐2‐phenyl‐1,3‐thiazole‐5(4H)‐thione ( 12 ) in CH₂Cl₂ gave only 4,4‐dimethyl‐2‐phenyl‐1,3‐thiazol‐5(4H)‐one ( 13 ) and the trithioorthoester derivative 14 , a bis‐disulfane, in low yield (Scheme 3). At ?78°, only bis(1‐chloro‐2,2,4,4‐tetramethyl‐3‐oxocyclobutyl)polysulfanes 15 were formed. Even at ?78°, a 1 : 2 mixture of 12 and 16 in CH₂Cl₂ reacted to give 13 and the symmetrical pentasulfane 19 in good yield (Scheme 5). The structures of 11, 14, 17 , and 18 have been established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Unexpected Formation of Dimethylthioketene Cycloadducts in the Reaction of 1,3‐Diphenylaziridine‐2,2‐dicarboxylate with Cyclobutanethione Derivatives

The reaction of 2,2,4,4‐tetramethyl‐3‐thioxocyclobutanone ( 1 ) with cis‐1‐alkyl‐2,3‐diphenylaziridines 5 in boiling toluene yielded the expected trans‐configured spirocyclic 1,3‐thiazolidines 6 (Scheme 1). Analogously, dimethyl trans‐1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)aziridine‐2,3‐dicarboxylate (trans‐ 7 ) reacted with 1 and the corresponding dithione 2 , respectively, to give spirocyclic 1,3‐thiazolidine‐2,4‐dicarboxylates 8 (Scheme 2). However, mixtures of cis‐ and trans‐derivatives were obtained in these cases. Unexpectedly, the reaction of 1 with dimethyl 1,3‐diphenylaziridine‐2,2‐dicarboxylate ( 11 ) led to a mixture of the cycloadduct 13 and 5‐(isopropylidene)‐4‐phenyl‐1,3‐thiazolidine‐2,2‐dicarboxylate ( 14 ), a formal cycloadduct of azomethine ylide 12 with dimethylthioketene (Scheme 3). The regioisomeric adduct 16 was obtained from the reaction between 2 and 11 . The structures of 6b , cis‐ 8a , cis‐ 8b, 10 , and 16 have been established by X‐ray crystallography.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of 4‐(Alkylamino)‐1‐(arylsulfonyl)‐3‐benzoyl‐1,5‐ dihydro‐5‐hydroxy‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐pyrrol‐2‐ones via a Multicomponent Reaction

An effective route to novel 4‐(alkylamino)‐1‐(arylsulfonyl)‐3‐benzoyl‐1,5‐dihydro‐5‐hydroxy‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐pyrrol‐2‐ones 10 is described (Scheme 2). This involves the reaction of an enamine, derived from the addition of a primary amine 5 to 1,4‐diphenylbut‐2‐yne‐1,4‐dione, with an arenesulfonyl isocyanate 7 . Some of these pyrrolones 10 exhibit a dynamic NMR behavior in solution because of restricted rotation around the C? N bond resulting from conjugation of the side‐chain N‐atom with the adjacent α,β‐unsaturated ketone group, and two rotamers are in equilibrium with each other in solution ( 10 ? 11 ; Scheme 3). The structures of the highly functionalized compounds 10 were corroborated spectroscopically (IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and EI‐MS), by elemental analyses, and, in the case of 10a , by X‐ray crystallography. A plausible mechanism for the reaction is proposed (Scheme 4).     

Selenium‐Containing Heterocycles from Isoselenocyanates: Synthesis of 5‐Amino‐2,4‐dihydro‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐selones

The reaction of S‐methylisothiosemicarbazide hydroiodide (=S‐methyl hydrazinecarboximidothioate hydroiodide; 1 ), prepared from thiosemicarbazide by treatment with MeI in EtOH, and aryl isoselenocyanates 5 in CH₂Cl₂ affords 3H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐selone derivatives 7 in good yield (Scheme 2, Table 1). During attempted crystallization, these products undergo an oxidative dimerization to give the corresponding bis(4H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐yl) diselenides 11 (Scheme 3). The structure of 11a was established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Reaction of Optically Active Oxiranes with Thiofenchone and 1‐Methylpyrrolidine‐2‐thione: Formation of 1,3‐Oxathiolanes and Thiiranes

The SnCl₄‐catalyzed reaction of (?)‐thiofenchone (=1,3,3‐trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptane‐2‐thione; 10 ) with (R)‐2‐phenyloxirane ((R)‐ 11 ) in anhydrous CH₂Cl₂ at ?60° led to two spirocyclic, stereoisomeric 4‐phenyl‐1,3‐oxathiolanes 12 and 13 via a regioselective ring enlargement, in accordance with previously reported reactions of oxiranes with thioketones (Scheme 3). The structure and configuration of the major isomer 12 were determined by X‐ray crystallography. On the other hand, the reaction of 1‐methylpyrrolidine‐2‐thione ( 14a ) with (R)‐ 11 yielded stereoselectively (S)‐2‐phenylthiirane ((S)‐ 15 ) in 56% yield and 87–93% ee, together with 1‐methylpyrrolidin‐2‐one ( 14b ). This transformation occurs via an S_N2‐type attack of the S‐atom at C(2) of the aryl‐substituted oxirane and, therefore, with inversion of the configuration (Scheme 4). The analogous reaction of 14a with (R)‐2‐{[(triphenylmethyl)oxy]methyl}oxirane ((R)‐ 16b ) led to the corresponding (R)‐configured thiirane (R)‐ 17b (Scheme 5); its structure and configuration were also determined by X‐ray crystallography. A mechanism via initial ring opening by attack at C(3) of the alkyl‐substituted oxirane, with retention of the configuration, and subsequent decomposition of the formed 1,3‐oxathiolane with inversion of the configuration is proposed (Scheme 5).     

Reactions of Imidoyl Isoselenocyanates with Aromatic 2‐Amino N‐Heterocycles and 1‐Methyl‐1H‐imidazole

The reaction of N‐phenylimidoyl isoselenocyanates 1 with 2‐amino‐1,3‐thiazoles 10 in acetone proceeded smoothly at room temperature to give 4H‐1,3‐thiazolo[3,2‐a] [1,3,5]triazine‐4‐selones 13 in fair yields (Scheme 2). Under the same conditions, 1 and 2‐amino‐3‐methylpyridine ( 11 ) underwent an addition reaction, followed by a spontaneous oxidation, to yield the 3H‐4λ⁴‐[1,2,4]selenadiazolo[1′,5′:1,5] [1,2,4]selenadiazolo[2,3‐a]pyridine 14 (Scheme 3). The structure of 14 was established by X‐ray crystallography (Fig. 1). Finally, the reaction of 1‐methyl‐1H‐imidazole ( 12 ) and 1 led to 3‐methyl‐1‐(N‐phenylbenzimidoyl)‐1H‐imidazolium selenocyanates 15 (Scheme 4). In all three cases, an initially formed selenourea derivative is proposed as an intermediate.     

Derivatives from Isoselenocyanates: Synthesis of 2‐Phenyl‐6H‐[5,1,3]benzoselenadiazocine

The reaction of N‐phenylbenzimidoyl isoselenocyanates 8 with primary and secondary amines in acetone at room temperature, followed by treatment with a base, led to 6H‐[5,1,3]benzoselenadiazocine derivatives of type 10 (Scheme 3). An analogous cyclization was observed when 8a and 8b were reacted with the Na salt of diethyl malonate in EtOH at room temperature, which yielded the eight‐membered selenaheterocycles 11 (Scheme 5). The molecular structures of some of the products, as well as that of a sulfur analogue, have been established by X‐ray crystallography (Figs. 1–4). The isoselenocyanates 8 have been prepared from N‐(2‐methylphenyl)benzamides 5 in a three‐step procedure via the corresponding imidoyl chlorides 6 , side‐chain chlorination to give 7 , and treatment with KSeCN (Scheme 2).     

Reaction of γ‐Hydroxy‐N‐[1‐(dimethylcarbamoyl)ethyl]butanamides under the ‘Direct Amide Cyclization’ Conditions

The preparation of the title compounds was achieved via the ‘azirine/oxazolone method’ starting from the corresponding γ‐hydroxy acids. Upon subjecting the γ‐hydroxy‐N‐[1‐(dimethylcarbamoyl)ethyl]butanamides 4 to the so‐called ‘direct amide cyclization’ (DAC) conditions, chlorinated acids 11 or imino lactones 12 were obtained as the sole products instead of the expected cyclodepsipeptides A or their cyclodimers (Scheme 4). Variation of the substituents in 4 did not affect the outcome of the reaction and a mechanism for the formation of both products from the intermediate oxazolone 13 has been proposed. Under the acidic conditions of the DAC, the imino lactones are formed as their HCl salts 12 , which, in polar solvents or on silica gel, reacted further to give the chlorinated acids 11 . Stabilization of the imino lactones was achieved by increasing the substitution in the five‐membered ring, and their structure, in the form of the hydrochlorides, was established independently by X‐ray crystallography (Fig. 4). A derivative 15 of the imino lactone 12a was prepared by the reaction with the 2H‐azirin‐3‐amine 10a ; its structure was also established by an X‐ray crystal‐structure determination (Fig. 3). Furthermore, the structures of the ω‐chloro acids 11a and 11b were determined by X‐ray crystallography (Fig. 2).     

Synthesis of Bis(2,4‐diarylimidazol‐5‐yl) Diselenides from N‐Benzylbenzimidoyl Isoselenocyanates

The reaction of N‐benzylbenzamides 6 with SOCl₂ under reflux gave the corresponding N‐benzylbenzimidoyl chlorides 7 . Further treatment with KSeCN in dry acetone yielded imidoyl isoselenocyanates 3 (Scheme 2). These compounds, obtained in satisfying yields, proved to be stable enough to be purified and analyzed. Reaction of 3 with morpholine in dry acetone led to the corresponding selenourea derivatives 8 . On treatment with Et₃N, the 4‐nitrobenzyl derivatives of type 3 were transformed into bis(2,4‐diarylimidazol‐5‐yl) diselenides 9 (Scheme 3). This transformation takes place only when the benzyl residue bears an NO₂ group and the phenyl group is not substituted with a strong electron‐donating group. A reaction mechanism for the formation of 9 is proposed in Scheme 4. The key structures have been established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Selenium‐Containing Heterocycles from Isoselenocyanates: Synthesis of 1H‐5‐Selena‐1,3,6‐triazaaceanthrylene Derivatives

The reaction of aryl isoselenocyanates 8 with methyl 3‐amino‐4‐chloro‐1‐ethylpyrrolo[3,2‐c]quinoline‐2‐carboxylate ( 6 ) in boiling pyridine leads to tetracyclic selenaheterocycles of type 9 in high yield (Scheme 3). A reaction mechanism via an intermediate selenoureido derivative A and cyclization via nucleophilic substitution of Cl by Se is proposed (Schemes 3 and 5). The reaction of 6 with 4‐bromophenyl isothiocyanate yields the analogous thiaheterocycle 12 (Scheme 4). The molecular structures of 9c and 12 have been established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Selenium‐Containing Heterocycles from Isoselenocyanates: Synthesis of 1,3‐Selenazinane and 1,3‐Selenazinanone Derivatives

The reaction of the intermediate ketene N,Se‐hemiacetal 3 , prepared from cyanomethylene derivatives 1 by treatment with Et₃N and aryl isoselenocyanates 2 , with bis‐electrophiles 6, 7, 9 , and 11 in DMF affords tetrahydro‐1H‐1,3‐selenazine (=1,3‐selenazinane) derivatives 8, 10 , and 12 in good yield (Scheme 2 and Tables 1–3). Chemical and spectroscopic evidence for the structures of the new compounds are described. The structures of 8d and 12e are established by X‐ray crystallography (Figs. 1 and 2).     

Thermal [2+3]‐Cycloadditions of trans‐1‐Methyl‐2,3‐diphenylaziridine with CS and CC Dipolarophiles: An Unexpected Course with Dimethyl Dicyanofumarate

The thermal reaction of trans‐1‐methyl‐2,3‐diphenylaziridine (trans‐ 1a ) with aromatic and cycloaliphatic thioketones 2 in boiling toluene yielded the corresponding cis‐2,4‐diphenyl‐1,3‐thiazolidines cis‐ 4 via conrotatory ring opening of trans‐ 1a and a concerted [2+3]‐cycloaddition of the intermediate (E,E)‐configured azomethine ylide 3a (Scheme 1). The analogous reaction of cis‐ 1a with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate ( 5 ) gave dimethyl trans‐2,5‐dihydro‐1‐methyl‐2,5‐diphenylpyrrole‐3,4‐dicarboxylate (trans‐ 6 ) in accord with orbital‐symmetry‐controlled reactions (Scheme 2). On the other hand, the reactions of cis‐ 1a and trans‐ 1a with dimethyl dicyanofumarate ( 7a ), as well as that of cis‐ 1a and dimethyl dicyanomaleate ( 7b ), led to mixtures of the same two stereoisomeric dimethyl 3,4‐dicyano‐1‐methyl‐2,5‐diphenylpyrrolidine‐3,4‐dicarboxylates 8a and 8b (Scheme 3). This result has to be explained via a stepwise reaction mechanism, in which the intermediate zwitterions 11a and 11b equilibrate (Scheme 6). In contrast, cis‐1,2,3‐triphenylaziridine (cis‐ 1b ) and 7a gave only one stereoisomeric pyrrolidine‐3,4‐dicarboxylate 10 , with the configuration expected on the basis of orbital‐symmetry control, i.e., via concerted reaction steps (Scheme 10). The configuration of 8a and 10 , as well as that of a derivative of 8b , were established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Synthesis,Structure of Zwitterionic 2‐Amino‐N′‐(imidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)benzohydrazides,and Their Transformation into 3‐(Imidazolidin‐2‐ylideneamino)quinazolin‐4(1H)‐one Derivatives

The reaction of 2‐chloro‐4,5‐dihydroimidazole ( 5 ) with 2‐aminobenzohydrazides 6a–e led to the formation of 2‐amino‐N′‐(imidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)benzohydrazides as zwitterions 7a–e , which on treatment with carbon disulfide in the presence of triethylamine afforded 3‐(imidazolidin‐2‐ylideneamino)‐2‐thioxo‐2,3‐dihydroquinazolin‐4(1H)‐ones 8a–e . Compounds 8a–d were further converted into the corresponding 3‐(imidazolidin‐2‐ylideneamino)quinazoline‐2,4(1H,3H)‐diones 9a–d using hydrogen peroxide–sodium hydroxide solution. The structures of the compounds prepared were established by elemental analyses, IR and NMR spectra as well as X‐ray crystallographic analyses of 7e and 9a .     

New Synthetic Approach to Naphtho[1,2‐b]furan and 4′‐Oxo‐Substituted Spiro[cyclopropane‐1,1′(4′H)‐naphthalene] Derivatives

A one‐step synthesis of ethyl 2,3‐dihydronaphtho[1,2‐b]furan‐2‐carboxylate and/or ethyl 4′‐oxospiro[cyclopropane‐1,1′(4′H)‐naphthalene]‐2′‐carboxylate derivatives 2 and 3 , respectively, from substituted naphthalen‐1‐ols and ethyl 2,3‐dibromopropanoate is described (Scheme 1). Compounds 2 were easily aromatized (Scheme 2). In the same way, 3,4‐dibromobutan‐2‐one afforded the corresponding 1‐(2,3‐dihydronaphtho[1,2‐b]furan‐2‐yl)ethanone and/or spiro derivatives 8 and 9 , respectively (Scheme 6). A mechanism for the formation of the dihydronaphtho[1,2‐b]furan ring and of the spiro compounds 3 is proposed (Schemes 3 and 4). The structures of spiro compounds 3a and 3f were established by X‐ray structural analysis. The reactivity of compound 3a was also briefly examined (Scheme 9).     

New Studies on [2+3] Cycloadditions of Thermally Generated N‐Isopropyl‐ and N‐(4‐Methoxyphenyl)‐Substituted Azomethine Ylides

The thermal reaction of 1‐substituted 2,3‐diphenylaziridines 2 with thiobenzophenone ( 6a ) and 9H‐fluorene‐9‐thione ( 6b ) led to the corresponding 1,3‐thiazolidines (Scheme 2). Whereas the cis‐disubstituted aziridines and 6a yielded only trans‐2,4,5,5‐tetraphenyl‐1,3‐thiazolidines of type 7 , the analogous reaction with 6b gave a mixture of trans‐ and cis‐2,4‐diphenyl‐1,3‐thiazolidines 7 and 8 . During chromatography on SiO₂, the trans‐configured spiro[9H‐fluorene‐9,5′‐[1,3]thiazolidines] 7c and 7d isomerized to the cis‐isomers. The substituent at N(1) of the aziridine influences the reaction rate significantly, i.e., the more sterically demanding the substituent the slower the reaction. The reaction of cis‐2,3‐diphenylaziridines 2 with dimethyl azodicarboxylate ( 9 ) and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate ( 11 ) gave the trans‐cycloadducts 10 and 12 , respectively (Schemes 3 and 4). In the latter case, a partial dehydrogenation led to the corresponding pyrroles. Two stereoisomeric cycloadducts, 15 and 16 , with a trans‐relationship of the Ph groups were obtained from the reaction with dimethyl fumarate ( 14 ; Scheme 5); with dimethyl maleate ( 17 ), the expected cycloadduct 18 together with the 2,3‐dihydropyrrole 19 was obtained (Scheme 6). The structures of the cycloadducts 7b, 8a, 15b , and 16b were established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Ring Enlargement and Sulfur‐Transfer Processes in SiO2‐Catalyzed Reactions of Thiocarbonyl Compounds with Optically Active Oxiranes

The reactions of 1,3‐dioxolane‐2‐thione ( 3 ) with (S)‐2‐methyloxirane ((S)‐ 1 ) and with (R)‐2‐phenyloxirane ((R)‐ 2 ) in the presence of SiO₂ in anhydrous dichloroalkanes led to the optically active spirocyclic 1,3‐oxathiolanes 8 with Me at C(7) and 9 with Ph at C(8), respectively (Schemes 2 and 3). The analogous reaction of 1,3‐dimethylimidazolidine‐2‐thione ( 4a ) with (R)‐ 2 yielded stereoselectively (S)‐2‐phenylthiirane ((S)‐ 10 ) in 83% yield and 97% ee together with 1,3‐dimethylimidazolidin‐2‐one ( 11a ). In the cases of 3‐phenyloxazolidine‐2‐thione ( 4b ) and 3‐phenylthiazolidine‐2‐thione ( 4c ), the reaction with (RS)‐ 2 yielded the racemic thiirane (RS)‐ 10 , and the corresponding carbonyl compounds 11b and 11c (Scheme 4 and Table 1). The analogous reaction of 4a with 1,2‐epoxycyclohexane (= 7‐oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane; 7 ) afforded thiirane 12 and the corresponding carbonyl compound 11a (Scheme 5). On the other hand, the BF₃‐catalyzed reaction of imidazolidine‐2‐thione ( 5 ) with (RS)‐ 2 yielded the imidazolidine‐2‐thione derivative 13 almost quantitatively (Scheme 6). In a refluxing xylene solution, 1,3‐diacetylimidazolidine‐2‐thione ( 6 ) and (RS)‐ 2 reacted to give two imidazolidine‐2‐thione derivatives, 13 and 14 (Scheme 7). The structures of 13 and 14 were established by X‐ray crystallography (Fig.).     

Synthesis and Reactivity of 2‐(6,7‐Diethoxy‐3,4‐dihydroisoquinolin‐ 1‐yl)acetonitrile towards Hydrazonoyl Halides

The synthesis of 2‐(6,7‐diethoxy‐3,4‐dihydroisoquinolin‐1‐yl)acetonitrile ( 1 ) has been performed by ring closure of the corresponding amide according to the Bischler‐Napieralski method (Scheme 1). Based on spectroscopic data, the tautomeric 2‐(tetrahydroisoquinolin‐1‐ylidene)acetonitrile is the actual compound. The reactions of 1 with α‐oxohydrazonoyl halides 4 in the presence of Et₃N led to 2‐(aryldiazenyl)pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinoline derivatives 8 (Scheme 2), whereas with C‐(ethoxycarbonyl)hydrazonoyl chlorides 14 , 2‐(arylhydrazono)pyrrolo[2,1‐a]isoquinoline‐1‐carbonitriles 16 were formed (Scheme 4). The structures of the products were established from their analytical and spectroscopic data and, in the case of 8b , by X‐ray crystallography.     

Synthesis of New Bis‐imidazole Derivatives

The reaction of aldimines with α‐(hydroxyimino) ketones of type 10 (1,2‐diketone monooximes) was used to prepare 2‐unsubstituted imidazole 3‐oxides 11 bearing an alkanol chain at N(1) (Scheme 2, Table 1). These products were transformed into the corresponding 2H‐imidazol‐2‐ones 13 and 2H‐imidazole‐2‐thiones 14 by treatment with Ac₂O and 2,2,4,4‐tetramethylcyclobutane‐1,3‐dithione, respectively (Scheme 3). The three‐component reaction of 10 , formaldehyde, and an alkane‐1,ω‐diamine 15 gave the bis[1H‐imidazole 3‐oxides] 16 (Scheme 4, Table 2). With Ac₂O, 2,2,4,4‐tetramethylcyclobutane‐1,3‐dithione or Raney‐Ni, the latter reacted to give the corresponding bis[2H‐imidazol‐2‐ones] 19 and 20 , bis[2H‐imidazol‐2‐thione] 21 , and bis[imidazole] 22 , respectively (Schemes 5 and 6). The structures of 11a and 16b were established by X‐ray crystallography.     

Synthesis and Optical Resolution of the Floral Odorant (±)‐2,3‐Dihydro‐2,5‐dimethyl‐1H‐indene‐2‐methanol,and Preparation of Analogues

The title compound (±)‐ 1 , a recently discovered, valuable, floral‐type odorant, has been synthesized by a straightforward procedure (Scheme 1). To determine the properties of the enantiomers of 1 , their separation by preparative HPLC and the determination of their absolute configuration by X‐ray crystallography were carried out (Figure). Furthermore, the analogues 2 – 6 were synthesized, either from differently methylated 2‐methylindan‐1‐ones (Schemes 2 and 3) or, in the case of the 2,4,6‐trimethylated homologue 6 , by a completely different synthetic approach (Scheme 4). An evaluation of (+)‐(S)‐ 1 , (−)‐(R)‐ 1 , and (±)‐ 1 showed only minor differences in terms of odor (Table).