Boron Trifluoride-Mediated Cycloaddition of 3-Bromotetrazine and Silyl Enol Ethers: Synthesis of 3-Bromo-pyridazines

Pyridazines are important scaffolds for medicinal chemistry or crop protection agents, yet the selective preparation of 3-bromo-pyridazines with high regiocontrol remains difficult. We achieved the Lewis acid-mediated inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction between 3-monosubstituted s-tetrazine and silyl enol ethers and obtained functionalized pyridazines. In the case of 1-monosubstituted silyl enol ethers, exclusive regioselectivity was observed. Downstream functionalization of the resulting 3-bromo-pyridazines was demonstrated utilizing several cross-coupling protocols to synthesize 3,4-disubstituted pyridazines with excellent control over the substitution pattern.

Formation of Tetrahydrothiophenes via a Thia-Paternò-Büchi-Initiated Domino Photochemical Reaction

We have established photochemical access to thietane or tetrahydrothiophene compounds from thiobenzophenone derivatives and acrylonitrile, wherein the product selectivity is controlled by a simple adjustment of the reagent concentration in solution. Small libraries of five-membered ring sulfur-containing compounds were prepared through a thia-Paternò-Büchi reaction, followed by a previously unknown regioselective photochemical ring enlargement reaction in a domino process or a stepwise fashion. A mechanism is proposed to rationalize this ring enlargement reaction via a carbene species provided from photoexcited thiocarbonyl compounds.