Copper-Catalyzed One-Pot Cross-Dehydrogenative Thienannulation: Chemoselective Access to Naphtho[2,1-b]thiophene-4,5-diones and Subsequent Transformation to Benzo[a]thieno[3,2-c]phenazines

A decade update on the application of β-oxodithioesters in heterocyclic synthesis

The diverse synthesis of heterocyclic compounds has always been one of the popular subjects of organic chemistry. To this end, great efforts have been devoted to developing new reagents and establishing new strategies and methods concerning efficiency, selectivity and sustainability. β-Oxodithioesters and their enol tautomers (i.e., α-enolic dithioesters), as a class of simple and readily accessible sulfur-containing synthons, have been widely applied in the construction of various five- and six-membered heterocycles (e.g., thiophenes, thiopyrans, thiazoles, pyridines and quinolines) and other useful open-chain frameworks. Due to their unique chemical structures, β-oxodithioesters bear multiple reaction sites, which enable them to participate in two-component or multicomponent reactions to construct various heterocyclic compounds. In the past decade, the application of β-oxodithioesters in the synthesis of heterocycles has made remarkable progress. Herein, an update on the recent advances in the application of β-oxodithioesters in the synthesis of heterocycles during the period from 2013 to 2023/06 is provided. According to the different types of rings concerning heteroatoms in products, this review is divided into five sections under discussion including (i) synthesis of sulfur-containing heterocycles, (ii) synthesis of sulfur and nitrogen-containing heterocycles, (iii) synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles, (iv) synthesis of nitrogen and oxygen-containing heterocycles, and (v) modification to other open-chain frameworks.

Recent Advances in Regioselective C-H Bond Functionalization of Free Phenols

Phenols are important readily available synthetic building blocks and starting materials for organic synthetic transformations, which are widely found in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and functional materials. The C-H functionalization of free phenols has proven to be an extremely useful tool in organic synthesis, which provides efficient increases in phenol molecular complexity. Therefore, approaches to functionalizing existing C-H bonds of free phenols have continuously attracted the attention of organic chemists. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge and recent advances in ortho-, meta-, and para-selective C-H functionalization of free phenols in the last five years.

Radical-Cascade Avenue to Access 1,2-Dithioles Employing Dithioesters and Edman's Reagent

An operationally simple and efficient domino etiquette has been developed for the facile construction of 1,2-dithioles employing easily accessible dithioesters as a three-atom CCS synthon and aryl isothiocyanates as a two-atom CS unit in the absence of any catalyst and additive at room temperature under open air. The reaction proceeded efficiently affording the desired 1,2-dithioles in good yields having various functional groups of a diverse electronic and steric nature. This approach avoids possible toxicity and tiresome workup conditions and features easy to handle, cheap, and readily accessible reagents, O₂ as a green oxidant, and gram-scale ability. Notably, the final S-S bond formation and cascade ring construction follow a radical pathway, which has been recognized via a radical trapping experiment with BHT during the course of the reaction. Notably, the exocyclic C═N bond at position 3 of 1,2-dithiole possesses Z stereochemistry.

Regio- and Chemoselective Access to Dihydrothiophenes and Thiophenes via Halogenation/Intramolecular C(sp2)-H Thienation of α-Allyl Dithioesters at Room Temperature

An operationally simple, practical, and efficient cascade approach employing α-allyl dithioesters and NBS/NIS has been achieved to access a series of dihydrothiophenes and thiophenes containing diverse functional groups of different electronic and steric natures in good to excellent yields at room temperature in open air. The reaction proceeds via the electrophilic addition of a halogen source (NBS/NIS) to an allylic double bond, followed by intramolecular regio- and chemoselective S-cyclization. This protocol avoids potential toxicity and tedious work-up conditions, and features easy synthesis from readily available starting materials under catalyst-free conditions. Furthermore, 4,5-dihydrothiophenes were aromatized to thiophenes by treatment with KOH in DMF at room temperature. A probable mechanism for the formation of dihydrothiophenes and thiophenes from α-allyl dithioesters has been suggested. Notably, a large-scale experiment and the transformations of products indicated the potential utility of this reaction compared to competing processes for the synthesis of 4,5-dihydrothiophenes and thiophenes.

Magnesium catalyzed [3 + 3] heteroannulation of α-enolic dithioesters with MBH acetate: access to functionalized 3,4-dihydro-2H-thiopyrans

Magnesium catalysis proved to be efficient towards [3 + 3] chemo- and diastereoselective heteroannulation employing racemic Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) acetate as the C3 unit and α-enolic dithioester as the C2S1 unit, leading to highly substituted 3,4-dihydro-2H-thiopyrans in excellent yields. The compatibility with a wide range of functional groups makes this domino formation of C-C and C-S bonds interesting. DFT analyses for the regioselective formation of the intermediate was performed.

Regioselective Synthesis of Naphthothiophenes by Pd Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions and Alkyne-Carbonyl Metathesis

Naphthothiophenes were prepared from commercially available 2,3-dibromothiophenes in two steps by one-pot Suzuki/Sonogashira or Sonogashira/Suzuki coupling reactions, followed by intramolecular alkyne-carbonyl-metathesis reactions. The final cyclization reaction proceeds in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid and provides a rapid access to two series of isomeric naphthothiophenes.

Stereoselective sulfenylation of oxindole-derived propargyl alcohols to access sulfenylated-3-alkenyloxindoles

A Ca-catalyzed, tetrasubstituted alkenyl-sulfenylation was achieved using readily available aryl/alkyl thiols and easily prepared oxindole-derived propargyl alcohols under solvent-free conditions. The reaction proceeded with hydrogen bonding assisted regioselective α-thiolation and subsequent calcium catalyzed stereoselective alkenylation to yield E-alkenyl thioethers with high diastereoselectivity.

Recent strategies in the synthesis of thiophene derivatives: highlights from the 2012-2020 literature

Thiophene-based analogs have been fascinated by a growing number of scientists as a potential class of biologically active compounds. Furthermore, they play a vital role for medicinal chemists to improve advanced compounds with a variety of biological effects. The current review envisioned to highlight some recent and particularly remarkable examples of the synthesis of thiophene derivatives by heterocyclization of various substrates from 2012 on.

Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydro-2H-1,3-thiazines from α-Enolic Dithioesters and 1,3,5-Triazinanes via a Formal (3 + 3) Annulation Reaction

The synthesis of 3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3-thiazines from α-enolic dithioesters and 1,3,5-triazinanes has been achieved via a formal (3 + 3) annulation reaction under thermal conditions, where 1,3,5-triazinanes were utilized as three-atom synthons. This transformation is catalyst-free and additive-free.