A straightforward double intramolecular cyclization of dibenzyl dichalcogenols into a triple bond

Reagents that Contain Se-H or Te-H Bonds

Species that contain bonds between hydrogen and selenium or tellurium have a characteristic high reactivity, which can be harnessed in the synthesis of valuable organic compounds. This overview includes the synthesis of dihydrides, alkali metal hydrochalcogenides, chalcogenols, chalcogenocarboxylic and chalcogenocarbamic acids, and their application in reactions of reduction, addition to unsaturated compounds, and nucleophilic substitution.

Syntheses and Reactions of Chalcogen-containing Heterocycles

The advances in my laboratory for the past 20-25 years concerning the chemistry of chalcogen-containing heterocycles are reviewed. The intramolecular cyclization of the chalcogenols (-TeH, -SeH, -SH) into a triple bond or appropriate leaving group produced various chalcogen-containing heterocycles. The reactions of the obtained products were examined: the reactions of 1-benzo- and 2-benzopyrylium salts containing a tellurium or selenium element with several nucleophiles, including alkoxides, amines, the cyanide ion, an active methyl compound (acetone), Grignard reagents, copper reagents, and tin reagents, along with hydrogenation and hydrolysis reactions, provided corresponding chromes or isochromes having various functional groups at the 2- or 1-C position. Isothiocyanate and isoselenocyanate were used as chalcogen sources for the preparation of five- or six-membered heterocycles. In addition, double intramolecular cyclization, ring-expansion reactions, electrophilic cyclization and iodocyclization were also carried out.

Diorganyl Dichalcogenides-Promoted Nucleophilic Closure of 1,4-Diyn-3-ols: Synthesis of 2-Benzoyl Chalcogenophenes

We report here the preparation of chalcogenophene derivatives via cyclization reactions of diynols promoted by diorganyl dichalcogenides and a halogen source. Different chalcogenophenes, such as 4-halo-selenophenes, 4-butylselenyl-selenophenes, halo-thiophenes, and 4-methylthio-thiophenes, were selectively prepared in good yields from the same starting materials. The results revealed that the halogen source had a significant effect on the proportion of 4-bromo-selenophenes and 4-butylselenyl-selenophenes. The best yields of 4-iodo-selenophenes were obtained with iodine as a halogen source, while the use of NBS gave exclusively the 4-butylselenyl-selenophenes. The experiments also revealed that the cyclization reaction to form 4-halo-thiophene derivatives can also be controlled changing the ratios of reagents. The 4-iodo-thiophenes were exclusively obtained by using dimethyl disulfide (2.0 equiv) and iodine (1.5 equiv), while the 4-bromo-thiophenes were obtained when the reaction was carried out with a 1.5 molar ratio of dimethyl disulfide and a halogen source. In addition, the reaction of diynols with an excess of dimethyl disulfide in the presence of NBS gave the 4-methylthio-thiophenes as sole products. We also studied the application of chalcogenophenes obtained as starting materials in the Suzuki, Sonogashira, and Ullmann cross-coupling reactions.

Synthesis of a carbon analogue of scytonemin

The synthesis of a carbon analogue of scytonemin was accomplished on the basis of molybdenum-mediated intramolecular double Pauson-Khand type reaction of bis(allenyne), followed by the double aldol condensation of the formed double Pauson-Khand type adduct.