The insertion and extrusion of heterosulfur bridges. XV. S-bridging of 2,2′-binaphthyl and 1-(2-naphthyl)cyclohexene. Studies on hydrodehalogenation during the reaction

Regioselectivity occurs in the sulfur-bridging reactions of 2,2′-binaphthyl (1) and 1-(2-naphthyl)cyclohexene (7) by means of hydrogen sulfide and a chromia-alumina-magnesia catalyst (designated I) in a flow apparatus at 550°. Thus, 1 gives a higher yield (6.1%) of dinaphtho1,2–6:2′,l'-d]thiophene from 1,1′-bridging than of dinaphtho1,2-b:2′,3′-d]thiophene (3.4%) from l,3′-bridging. No product expected from 3,3′-bridging was identified. Substrate 7 undergoes both dehydrogenation and bridging to yield 2-phenylnaphthalene (8%), benzob]naphtho2,1-d]thiophene (9%) from alpha bridging, and benzob]naphtho2,3-d]thiophene (3%) from beta bridging into the naphthalene ring. Exploratory studies showed that either sulfided catalyst I or a sulfided molybdenum( VI ) oxide-alumina-cobalt( II ) oxide catalyst ( II ) effects hydrodehalogenation of various monohalo- and polyhaloarenes (where halo, X, is chloro or bromo) at 450–550°. In the biphenyl, phenanthrene, naphthalene, and pyrene systems, halogen was lost either under sulfur-bridging conditions or under hydrogenolysis conditions, i.e. with methanol as a reactant. For every substrate the parent arene was isolated or identified as a reaction product. In selected experiments, acid HX was also identified in the effluent. Use of hydrogen sulfide as a reactant led to formation of dibenzothiophene and phenanthro4,5-bcd]thiophene as main products in the biphenyl and phenanthrene systems, respectively; while use of methanol as a reactant gave small amounts of methyl bromide (for X = Br) and methylarenes.