Base-Catalyzed Three-Component Reaction between Chalcones, Isothiocyanates, and Sulfur: Access to Thiazole-2-thiones

Synthesis of N-β-brominated alkenyl isothiocyanates via dehydrogenation of alkyl isothiocyanates

This study presents a new dehydrogenative synthesis of alkenyl isothiocyanates, providing compounds with bromo and isothiocyanate groups. These reactive functionalities offer versatility for further transformations. Application in an amine sensor utilizing a coumarin-attached product demonstrates practical utility. This streamlined approach facilitates access to alkenyl isothiocyanates, valuable tools for biological studies.

Three-Component Assembly of Dihydropyrrolo[3,4-e][1,3]thiazines from Elemental Sulfur, Maleimides, and 1,3,5-Triazinanes

A three-component reaction for the synthesis of dihydropyrrolo[3,4-e][1,3]thiazines has been developed. Elemental sulfur, maleimides, and 1,3,5-triazinanes are assembled together through sulfuration/nucleophilic attack in N-methylpyrrolidin-2-one (NMP) under mild conditions. A small amount of NaHCO3 is important for the activation of the reaction. In this method, sulfur plays a dual role in thiazine ring formation, while triazinanes are utilized as three-atom synthons in the annulation reaction.

Isothiocyanates: happy-go-lucky reagents in organic synthesis

Owing to their unique structural features, isothiocyanates (ITCs) are a class of highly useful and inimitable reagents as the -NCS group serves both as electrophile and nucleophile in organic synthesis. ITCs share a rich legacy in organic, medicinal, and combinatorial chemistry. Compared to their oxygen equivalents, isocyanates, ITCs are easily available, less unpleasant, and somewhat less harmful to work with (mild conditions) which makes them happy-go-lucky reagents. Functionalized ITCs can finely tune the reactivity of the -NCS group and thus can be exploited in the late-stage functionalization processes. This review's primary aim is to outline ITC chemistry in the construction and derivatization of heterocycles through the lens of sustainability. For ease and brevity, the sections are divided based on reactive centers present in functionalized ITCs and modes of cyclisation. Scrutinizing their probable unexplored directions for future research studies is also addressed.

Base- and sulfur-promoted oxidative lactonization of chalcone-acetate Michael adducts: access to pyran-2-ones

A cost-effective, practical, straightforward and scalable synthesis of α-pyrones via base- and sulfur-promoted annulation of phenylacetates and chalcones is reported. Generated in situ from the starting components by using dbu as a base catalyst, the Michael adducts underwent a smooth oxidative cyclization into 3,4,6-triaryl-2-pyranones upon heating with DABCO and sulfur in DMSO. Extension to malonate in place of phenylacetates led to 4,6-diaryl-2-pyranone-2-carboxylates.

Regioselective Addition of Sulfur and Amine Nucleophiles To Assemble S═C-S, S-N, and Umpolung C-N Bonds: Exploration of the -CBr3 Group as a Synthetic Equivalent of S═C-S

The regioselective addition of sulfur and amine nucleophiles to a -CBr3 unit and nitromethyl moiety in a molecule with the installation of a five-diverse bond structure to novel isothiazole-5(2H)-thione is demonstrated. Umpolung of the nitromethyl group leads to a novel scaffold with selective C-N bond formation. Consequently, differentiating reactive centers by sulfur and amine nucleophiles has been proposed to create unique S-N bonds in conjunction with the dithioate (S═C-S-) moiety. This protocol allows for exploration of the -CBr3 moiety as a synthetic equivalent of the dithioate (S═C-S-) unit during the reaction.

Recent advancement in the synthesis of isothiocyanates

Isothiocyanates exhibit various biological characteristics, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Their significance extends to synthetic chemistry, where they serve as valuable platforms for versatile transformations. Consequently, they have attracted the attention of biologists and chemists. This review summarizes recent advancements in the synthesis of isothiocyanates. Access to a variety of starting materials is important to prepare isothiocyanates with diverse structures. This review categorizes synthetic methods into three types based on the starting materials and functional groups: (i) type A, derived from primary amines; (ii) type B, derived from other nitrogen functional groups; and (iii) type C, derived from non-nitrogen groups. Recent trends in synthetic methods have revealed the prevalence of type-A reactions derived from primary amines. However, type B reactions have rarely been reported. Notably, over the past four years, there has been a notable increase in type C reactions, indicating a growing interest in non-nitrogen-derived isothiocyanates. Overall, this review not only outlines the advancements in the synthesis of isothiocyanates but also highlights trends in the methodology.

Elemental Sulfur Promoted Cyclization of Aryl Hydrazones and Aryl Isothiocyanates Yielding 2-Imino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles

We report a method for using elemental sulfur to facilitate the cyclization of aryl hydrazones and aryl isothiocyanates, affording biorelated 2-imino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles. Reactions progressed in the presence of elemental sulfur, N-methylmorpholine base, and DMSO solvent, while were tolerant of a wide range of functionalities including halogen, nitro, cyano, methylsulfonyl, and heterocyclic groups. The method appears to offer a general pathway for using simple, cheap, and stable reagents to afford triaryl-substituted 2-imino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles under relatively mild conditions.

Elemental Sulfur-Mediated Aromatic Halogenation

A method for aromatic halogenation using a combination of elemental sulfur (S8) and N-halosuccinimide has been developed. A catalytic quantity of elemental sulfur (S8) with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS) effectively halogenated less-reactive aromatic compounds, such as ester-, cyano-, and nitro-substituted anisole derivatives. No reaction occurred in the absence of S8, underscoring its crucial role in the catalytic activity. This catalytic system was also applicable to aromatic iodination with 1,3-diiodo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin.

Multicomponent Reaction of CS2, Amines, and Sulfoxonium Ylides in Water: Straightforward Access to β-Keto Dithiocarbamates, Thiazolidine-2-thiones, and Thiazole-2-thiones

Simple, versatile, and catalyst-free synthetic methods for β-keto dithiocarbamates, thiazolidine-2-thiones, and thiazole-2-thiones via the multicomponent reaction of CS₂, amines, and sulfoxonium ylides have been described. The β-keto sulfoxonium ylides furnished β-keto dithiocarbamates in the presence of CS₂ and secondary amines, whereas primary amines afforded thiazolidine-2-thiones or thiazole-2-thiones after dehydration in an acidic environment. With simple procedures, the reaction has a wide substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance.

Base-Promoted Reaction of 4-Chloro-3-vinyl Coumarins, Phenacylpyridinium Bromides, and Elemental Sulfur: A Designed Approach to Thiopyrano[4,3-c]chromen-5(1H)-ones

A designed synthesis of thiopyrano[4,3-c]chromen-5(1H)-ones was developed based on a base-promoted three-component reaction between 4-chloro-3-vinyl coumarins, phenacylpyridinium bromides, and elemental sulfur. Readily available starting materials, mild conditions, chemoselectivity, operational simplicity, and synthetically useful yields are some highlighted advantages of these transformations.

Photoinduced Synthesis of Thiocyanates through Hydrogen Atom Transfer and One-Pot Derivatization to Isothiocyanates

Photoinduced benzylic C-H thiocyanation is described. A series of alkyl thiocyanates were efficiently obtained by using Selectfluor as the oxidant. Moreover, we accomplished the one-pot isothiocyanation following the C-H thiocyanation. The thiocyanates and isothiocyanates were applied to the divergent transformation of pharmaceuticals.

DABCO-Catalyzed Reaction of 2-Naphthols with Aryl Isothiocyanates: Access to 2-Iminonaphtho-1,3-oxathioles

2-Naphthols 1 were found to react with aryl isothiocyanates 2 to provide 2-iminonaphtho-1,3-oxathioles 3 in the presence of DABCO as a catalyst. When elemental sulfur was used, moderate to good yields of 3 could be achieved from a nearly equimolar mixture of two starting materials 1 and 2. Products 3 could also be formed in the absence of sulfur or an external oxidant. In the latter case, an additional equivalent of 2 was found to act as a dehydrogenating agent.

Metal-Free C-S Bond Formation in Elemental Sulfur and Cyclobutanol Derivatives: The Synthesis of Substituted Thiophenes

A general approach for the metal-free synthesis of thiophenes by tert-cyclobutanols and elemental sulfur has been developed. This protocol provides a strategy for constructing multisubstituted thiophene derivatives via C-S bond formation under air. This reaction shows good functionality tolerance under the reaction conditions, and the mechanism is validated by control experiments and density functional theory calculations.

Cascade Reaction of Tertiary Enaminones, KSCN, and Anilines: Temperature-Controlled Synthesis of 2-Aminothiazoles and 2-Iminothiazoline

A one-pot cascade strategy for the synthesis of 2-aminothiazole derivatives by tertiary enaminones, KSCN, and anilines was developed. By changing the reaction temperature, the three-component reaction could be transformed in different ways to obtain moderate to good yields of polysubstituted 2-aminothiazoles and 2-iminothiazolines. This protocol provides an efficient and concise approach to accessing 2-aminothiazole derivatives with potential bioactivity from readily accessible building blocks and reagents.

A stepwise one-pot synthesis of aliphatic thiols and their derivatives from acrylamides and sulfur

Elemental sulfur enables the convenient formation of C-S bonds and the direct incoporation of S-S bonds. The reactivity of easily accessible electron deficient alkenes towards sulfur, however, is barely disclosed. Herein, we investigated the reactivity of acrylamides with sulfur and eventually developed a new pseudo-multicomponent reaction for the preparation of polysulfides. Sequential one-pot reduction led to diversely substituted thiols. Additional third stage one-pot modifications provided thioethers, unsymmetric disulfide and thioester.

Convenient Synthesis of Triphenylphosphine Sulfide from Sulfur and Triphenylphosphine

Elemental sulfur (S8) was found to react very rapidly (<1 min) with a stoichiometric amount of triphenylphosphine at rt in sufficient amount of solvent (0.2–0.5 mL of solvent/1 mmol of PPh3). Compared to the previously described methods, the present procedure constitute excellent access to triphenylphosphine sulfide.

Double C-S bond formation via multiple Csp3-H bond cleavage: synthesis of 4-hydroxythiazoles from amides and elemental sulfur under metal-free conditions

A novel and efficient approach for the synthesis of 4-hydroxythiazoles from amides and elemental sulfur has been developed. In the presence of P₂O₅, DMSO and HMPA, this metal-free protocol proceeds smoothly and tolerates a spectrum of functional groups. Furthermore, this strategy involves the process of double Csp³-S bond formation through the cleavage of multiple Csp³-H bonds for the first time.