The preparation of dicyano-1,3,4-thiadiazole and tricyanothiazole via 1,2,3-dithiazole chemistry

Treatment of 1,2-bis(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylidene)hydrazine 4 with benzyltriethylammonium iodide (1 equiv) affords dicyano-1,3,4-thiadiazole 3 and 5-cyano-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-carboxamide 5 in 79 and 21% yields, respectively. By using polymer bound triphenylphosphine instead of benzyltriethylammonium iodide the dicyano-1,3,4-thiadiazole 3 can be isolated in 70% yield without chromatography. The reaction of DAMN with Appel salt 8 gave 2-(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylideneamino)-2-(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylidene)acetonitrile 7 (14%), 2,3-bis-(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylideneamino)fumaronitrile 10 (14%), and 2,3-bis(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylideneamino)maleonitrile 11 (24%) together with other products. The maleonitrile 11 isomerizes into the fumaronitrile 10 on irradiation at 365 nm. Reaction of aminoacetonitrile with Appel salt 8 gives the (dithiazolylidene)acetonitrile 7 in 33% yield. Treatment of (dithiazolylidene)acetonitrile 7 with polymer bound triphenylphosphine gives tricyanothiazole 6 in 76% yield. A rational general mechanism for the transformation of bisdithiazoles to percyanoheteroles is proposed.