Heterocyclic tautomerisms. I. An investigation of the 2-arylbenzothiazoline-2-(benzylideneamino)thiophenol tautomerism. Part 1

A definite tautomeric relationship has been found between 2-arylbenzothiazolines (I) and 2-(benzylideneamino)thiophenols (II). In a reaction characteristic of the closed ring structure (I), 2-arylbenzothiazolines were oxidized in high yield with benzoyl peroxide to the corresponding 2-arylbenzothiazoles (III). Reactions characteristic of the open ring structure (II) include the formation of the potassium salt of the open ring structure (IV) by reaction of 2-arylbenzothiazolines with potassium t-butoxide in toluene and oxidation of 2-arylbenzothiazolines to bis-[2-(benzylideneamino)phenyl] disulfides (V) by hydrogen peroxide in methanol.