R. B. Woodward’s unfinished symphony: designing organic superconductors (1975–79)

Sequential Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions of Activated Halogens

Building blocks have been identified that can be functionalised by sequential nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Some examples are reported that involve the formation of cyclic benzodioxin and phenoxathiine derivatives from 4,5-difluoro-1,2-dinitrobenzene, racemic quinoxaline thioethers, and sulfones from 2,3-dichloroquinoxaline and (2-aminophenylethane)-2,5-dithiophenyl-4-nitrobenzene from 1-(2-aminophenylethane)-2-fluoro-4,5-dinitrobenzene. Four X-ray single-crystal structure determinations are reported, two of which show short intermolecular N-O…N "π hole" contacts.

On the Structural Assignments Underlying R. B. Woodward's Most Personal Data That Led to the Woodward-Hoffmann Rules: Subramania Ranganathan's Key Role and Related Research by E. J. Corey and A. G. Hortmann

In the early 1960s, as part of R. B. Woodward's isoxazole route to vitamin B₁₂ , Subramania Ranganathan uncovered two coupled sets of stereospecific reactions, a thermal set and a photochemical set. These four reactions illustrated the alternating configurations that were the major data points that prompted the solution of the no-mechanism problem. Though Ranganathan's reactions played a major role, according to Woodward, in the development of the Woodward-Hoffmann rules, they were published only as part of the documentation of a lecture given by Woodward in 1966. The authors of this paper have uncovered Subramania Ranganathan's 1964 postdoctoral report and have used modern quantum chemical theory to predict the ¹ H NMR spectra for Ranganathan's key compounds, providing support for the structure assignments made by Woodward and Ranganathan. A similar set of alternating, stereospecific reactions was observed by E. J. Corey and Alfred Hortmann in their 1963 total synthesis of dihydrocostunolide. We also have applied the computational process used for Ranganathan's compounds to Hortmann's compounds, now also including the calculation of coupling constants, and find computational support for Corey and Hortmann's structure assignments.

5,5′-Thiobis(3-methoxy-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one)

The reaction of 3-chloro-5-methoxy-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one (9) with Na2S·9H2O (0.5 equiv) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at ca. 20 °C for 20 h gives 5,5′-thiobis(3-methoxy-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one) (10) in a 44% yield as yellow needles. The compound was fully characterized.

3-Chloro-5-(3-n-hexylthien-2-yl)-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one

Stille coupling of 5-chloro-4-oxo-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-3-yl trifluoromethanesulfonate (7) with tributyl(3-n-hexylthien-2-yl)stannane and Pd(Ph3P)2Cl2 in PhMe at ca. 20 °C, for 24 h gave 3-chloro-5-(3-n-hexylthien-2-yl)-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one (9) with a 60% yield. The latter is a potentially useful building block for the synthesis of oligomeric and polymeric donors for organic photovoltaics.

Organic Synthesis: Wherefrom and Whither? (Some Very Personal Reflections)

This perspective represents a (highly personal) examination of the past, present and future of synthetic organic chemistry. The central thesis posits that the confluence of factors that led to the "Golden Age of Natural Product Synthesis" in the second half of the twentieth century can be traced back to the identification of the therapeutic potential of steroid hormones culminating in the introduction of oral contraceptives. The tremendous benefits of those activities to the development of organic synthesis as a vibrant discipline led to the exponential increase in strategies and methods and the ability to tackle, larger and larger molecules of greater and greater complexity. The existential challenge to the health of organic synthesis is whether a similarly dynamic future can be anticipated and if so, to what end and how. Musings on potential answers to those questions are presented.

S-Functionalization of 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4,6-thiatriazine: probing the effect of alkyl chain length in the development of tethered materials

The preference of S-alkyl-thiatriazines towards intra vs. intermolecular addition is dependent on alkyl chain length, as demonstrated experimentally and computationally.

Halide Influence on Molecular and Supramolecular Arrangements of Iron Complexes with a 3,5-Bis(2-Pyridyl)-1,2,4,6-Thiatriazine Ligand

A series of iron centered complexes, namely, [Fe(Py2TTA)Cl2] (1), [Fe(Py2TTA)Br2] (2), and [Fe(μ-F)(Py2TTAO)F]∞ (3), were isolated via complexation of 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4,6-thiatriazine (Py2TTAH) with various ferric halides (e.g., FeF3, FeCl3, and FeBr3). Comparison of the optical and electrochemical spectroscopy, structural analysis, and magnetic studies reveal numerous similarities between the chlorido (1) and bromido (2) derivatives, which crystallize as discrete five-coordinate iron centered complexes with coordination geometries that are intermediate between trigonal bipyramidal and square base pyramid. Conversely, the fluorido derivative (3) results in a completely different structure due to oxidation of the ligand and the formation of a one-dimensional coordination polymer held together through a bridging fluoride ion. Consequently, the spectroscopic and magnetic behavior of 3 differs significantly compared with 1 and 2. Complexes 1 and 2 exhibit paramagnetic properties typical for a mononuclear S = 5/2 system with weak intermolecular antiferromagnetic interactions at low temperatures, whereas complex 3 demonstrates significant exchange couplings within the chain and weak antiferromagnetic interchain interactions, which stabilize a canted antiferromagnetic state below 4.2 K.

Alkyl-functionalization of 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4,6-thiatriazine

S-Alkyl-1,2,4,6-thiatriazines, which can be preparedviatwo pathways, are described. The regioselectivity and photophysical properties are rationalized through computational studies.

Influence of substitution pattern and enhanced π-conjugation on a family of thiophene functionalized 1,5-dithia-2,4,6,8-tetrazocines

The versatile, one-pot synthesis of a series of π-extended 1,5,2,4,6,8-dithiatetrazocines is described, along with their optoelectronic and structural properties.

Spectroscopic characterization of C-4 substituted 3,5-dichloro-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazines

The effect of C-4 substitution with electron withdrawing groups on the structure and electronic properties of three 3,5-dichloro-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazines is characterized using resonance Raman, absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies.

1,5,2,4,6,8-Dithiatetrazocine. Synthesis, computation, crystallography and voltammetry of the parent heterocycle

The prototypal 1,5,2,4,6,8-dithiatetrazocine has been synthesized for the first time by two routes: reaction of 1,2,3,5-dithiadiazolium chloride with N,N,N'-tris(trimethylsilyl)formamidine in acetonitrile and reaction of 1,2,3,5-dithiadiazolyl radical with dioxygen in solution. Yields are low but single crystals could be obtained for an X-ray crystal structure determination which shows it to have the planar delocalized structure predicted by B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) hybrid DFT calculations. The crystal structure is strongly reminiscent of that of benzene in the same Pbca space group. Aromaticity is demonstrated by a (1)H NMR chemical shift of +9.70 ppm indicative of diamagnetic ring shielding and an intense low-energy optical absorption with λ(max) = 349 nm (MeOH). The voltammetric behaviour of the title compound is compared with that of 1,3λ(4)δ(2),5,2,4-trithiadiazepine; both resist electrochemical oxidation and reduction over a wide potential range as is typical for aromatic heterocycles.

Selective Stille coupling reactions of 3-chloro-5-halo(pseudohalo)-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-ones

A series of 3-chloro-5-halo(pseudohalo)-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-ones (halo/pseudohalo = Br, I, OTf) are prepared from 3,5-dichloro-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one (3) in good yields. Of these the triflate reacts with tributyltin arenes (Stille couplings) chemoselectively to give only the 5-aryl-3-chloro-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-ones in high yields. This allowed the preparation of a series of unsymmetrical biaryl thiadiazines and ultimately a series of oligomers. Furthermore, treatment of 3-chloro-5-iodo-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one (10) with Bu(3)SnH and Pd(OAc)(2) gave the bithiadiazinone which can also be further arylated via the Stille reaction to give bisthien-2-yl and bis(N-methylpyrrol-2-yl) analogs.