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.