Theoretical studies on the structure and electronic properties of aryl sulfides and sulfones

Molecular orbital calculations are reported on the structure and electronic properties of diphenyl sulfide using both semiempirical and ab initio methods. Neither the MNDO nor AM1 methods give satisfactory structures, but better results are obtained with the PM3 method. At the ab initio level, the 4-31G basis set with polarization functions on sulfur alone (4-31G/S*) gives comparable results to those obtained with the 6-31G** basis set. The corresponding bond lengths and angles at the sulfur atom of 4-aminophenyl-4′-nitrophenyl sulfide and related derivatives of diphenyl sulfone, diphenyl disulfide, and phenylthiosulfonate calculated at the 4-31 G/S* level show a good correlation with crystallographic data where available. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 66 : 141–147, 1998     

Aryl aminoalkyl sulfones

Two methods are proposed for the preparation of aryl aminoalkyl sulfones substituted in the aromatic ring: a method based on the oxidation of aryl aminoalkyl sulfides by hydrogen peroxide or of their bases in the presence of HClO₄ and a method based on the oxidation of aryl -chloroalkyl sulfides to chlorosulfones by hydrogen peroxide followed by their condensation with amines.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2580–2585, November, 1989.     

The preparation of aryl 1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-phenyl-4-trifluoromethyl-5-imidazolyl sulfides and sulfones

A series of aryl 1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-phenyl-4-trifluoromethyl-5-imidazolyl sulfides was prepared by displacement of fluoride from the 5-position of 1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-phenyl-4-trifluoromethyl-5-fluoroimidazole by substituted thiophenols and by benzyl mercaptan. This displacement reaction occurs much more slowly than the corresponding previously described reactions of 4-trifluoromethyl-5-fluorothiazoles and -oxazoles. Several solvent-base pairs were examined; the reaction was found to work best when dimethyl sulfoxide was used as the solvent and diazabicycloundecene as the base. The sulfides were oxidized to sulfones by treatment with hydrogen peroxide in acetic acid.     

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.     

Aryl vinyl sulfones as thiol protective group

Phenyl vinyl sulfone and p-tolyl isobutenyl sulfone are convenient reagents for protecting SH groups via the Michaël adduct. Protection and deprotection can be achieved in high yields under mild basic conditions, in protic or aprotic solvents.     

One-pot synthesis of aryl biaryl sulfones

Synthesis of aryl biaryl sulfones 3 with good yields is described. The one-pot efficient synthetic route is carried by the NaH-mediated tandem [C3+C3] annulations of cinnamaldehydes 1 and propargylic sulfones 2 under the boiling THF conditions.     

One-pot preparation of Julia-Kocienski sulfides and sulfones from alcohols

A method for one-pot preparation of Julia-Kocienski sulfides and sulfones from alcohols and thiols is reported. A variety of primary alcohols were converted to the corresponding mesylates by methansulfonyl chloride and triethylamine in THF. After the reaction is complete, thiol (1 or 10) and either NaH or t-BuOK were added. The Julia-Kocienski sulfides 3, 9 and 11 were prepared by one-pot two steps procedure from alcohols in 76–96% yields (16 examples). Furthermore, after the sulfide formation, the reaction mixture was neutralized by p-toluenesulfonic acid and treated with H₂O₂ and ammonium molybdate in EtOH to give the Julia-Kocienski sulfones 4 in good yields except for trans-2-hexen-1-ol.     

New insights into the titanium-mediated enantioselective oxidation of fluorinated aryl benzyl sulfides and aryl phenacyl sulfides

A fruitful switch from tert-butyl to cumene hydroperoxide was able to overcome a difficulty arose in the enantioselective oxidation of fluorinated aryl benzyl sulfide with hydroperoxides in the presence of a titanium/(S, S)-hydrobenzoin catalyst. New experiments show the complementarity of the old and the new protocols and indicate unequivocally the right choice leading to the corresponding highly enantioenriched sulfoxides. Moreover, in a totally unexpected way, the new protocol was able to overcome another difficulty arose in another field of research, that is the enantioselective oxidation of a fluorinated aryl phenacyl sulfide. Also in this case, the complementarity of behavior is acting. Finally, this investigation gives new support to the attribution of configuration of sulfoxides with ECD techniques, but only if the protocol outlined in our past research was followed thoroughly.     

Steric structure of some tert-butyl aryl sulfones

Conclusions Aryl is in a skewed position (=73±13) in tert-butyl aryl sulfones. There are no significant changes in the conformation of the sulfone molecules when methyl is replaced by the tert-butyl radical.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 2057–2060, September, 1981.The authors thank A. N. Vereshchagin for valuable consultations and for his interest in the paper.     

Unsymmetrical diaryl sulfones and aryl vinyl sulfones through palladium-catalyzed coupling of aryl and vinyl halides or triflates with sulfinic acid salts

The palladium-catalyzed reaction of sulfinic acid salts with a wide variety of aryl and vinyl halides or triflates provides unsymmetrical diaryl sulfones and aryl vinyl sulfones in good to excellent yields. The reaction is strongly influenced by the presence of nBu4NCl, and the use of Xantphos, a rigid bidentate ligand with a wide natural bite angle, was found to be crucial for the success of the reaction. With neutral, electron-rich, and electron-poor aryl iodides best results were obtained by using Pd2(dba)3, Xantphos, Cs2CO3, and nBu4NCl, in toluene at 80 degrees C. Two general procedures were employed with aryl bromides and triflates: sodium p-toluenesulfinate, Pd2(dba)3, Xantphos, Cs2CO3, 120 degrees C, in toluene with nBu4NCl (procedure A: neutral, electron-rich, and slightly electron-poor aryl bromides or triflates) and without nBu4NCl (procedure B: electron-poor aryl bromides or triflates). With vinyl triflates best results were obtained at 60 degrees C omitting nBu4NCl.     

From vinyl sulfides, sulfoxides and sulfones to vinyl zirconocene derivatives

An easy and straightforward new method for the preparation of sp² zirconocene derivatives from a wide range of heterosubstituted alkenes such as vinyl sulfides, sulfoxides and sulfones is described. In all cases, a complete isomerization of the stereochemistry is observed and only the E-isomer is obtained. The reactivity of the resulting vinylic organometallic can be increased by a transmetalation reaction into organocopper, organozinc or organopalladium species and, therefore, several carbon-carbon formation were easily realized.     

A facile one-pot synthesis of alkyl aryl sulfides from aryl bromides

A convenient one-pot synthetic method for the formation of alkyl aryl sulfides from various alkyl halides and lithium aryl thiolates that are prepared in situ by direct halogen-lithium exchange is reported. In particular, the method overcomes many of the problems encountered in previous reports; it is very quick, catalyst-free, and does not involve use of unstable aryl thiols.     

Chemoselective oxidation of sulfides to sulfones with potassium hydrogen persulfate

Potassium hydrogen persulfate in aqueous methanol was found to be a convenient, inexpensive, and chemoselective reagent for the oxidation of sulfides to sulfones and sulfoxides in the presence of other common functional groups.     

Structure of several β-haloethyl aryl sulfides

Conclusions The average population of the conformation with trans orientation of the C-S and C-Hal bonds for the -haloethyl aryl sulfides studied was found to be 80%.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2499–2503, November, 1985.     

Transition metal catalyzed synthesis of aryl sulfides

The presence of aryl sulfides in biologically active compounds has resulted in the development of new methods to form carbon-sulfur bonds. The synthesis of aryl sulfides via metal catalysis has significantly increased in recent years. Historically, thiolates and sulfides have been thought to plague catalyst activity in the presence of transition metals. Indeed, strong coordination of thiolates and thioethers to transition metals can often hinder catalytic activity; however, various catalysts are able to withstand catalyst deactivation and form aryl carbon-sulfur bonds in high-yielding transformations. This review discusses the metal-catalyzed arylation of thiols and the use of disulfides as metal-thiolate precursors for the formation of C-S bonds.     

Metalation of alkyl aryl sulfones: qualitative and quantitative product determination

The metalation of methyl phenyl sulfone (I) and methyl naphthyl sulfone (II) was investigated under a variety of conditions. The product species were determined qualitatively and quantitatively after characterization with some electrophilic agents. After the primary metalation at the methyl position, species of various metalation degrees were prsent simultaneously, including the 1,1,1-trimetalated derivatives. With high LiR/sulfone ratios, in addition to the products of the primary metalation, compounds arising from metalation of the aromatic ring were formed as well as those from reduction, cleavage, etc.