Use of Molecular Oxygen as a Reoxidant in the Synthesis of 2-Substituted Benzothiazoles via Palladium-Catalyzed CH Functionalization/Intramolecular CS Bond Formation

Metal- and base-free, aerobic photoredox catalysis with riboflavin to synthesize 2-substituted benzothiazoles

Sustainable approaches for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzothiazoles are sought after for their use in organic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, and industrial applications. Here, we described a visible light-driven photoredox catalytic cyclization of thioanilides to afford 2-substituted benzothiazoles using riboflavin as a photocatalyst, where oxygen is used as a clean oxidant and ethanol as a greener solvent. These results provide a new photochemical route for environmentally benign synthesis.

Brønsted acid-promoted ring-opening and annulation of thioamides and 2H-azirines to synthesize 2,4,5-trisubstituted thiazoles

In this study, a metal-free synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted thiazoles using 2H-azirines and thioamides is disclosed. Under the catalysis of HClO₄, the protocol was realized through a novel chemical bond breaking of 2H-azirine, which is usually achieved using a metal catalyst. It provides an efficient and green route for the synthesis of substituted thiazoles with a broad substrate scope. Preliminary mechanistic studies show that such a reaction may involve a ring-opening reaction, annulation, and a hydrogen atom rearrangement process.

Iron(III)-Catalyzed Regioselective Synthesis of Electron-Rich Benzothiazoles from Aryl Isothiocyanates via C-H Functionalization

We report herein a direct synthetic route for the preparation of 2-arylbenzothiazoles using aryl isothiocyanates and electron-rich arenes. The synthetic route involves triflic acid promoted addition of the arenes to aryl isothiocyanates followed by FeCl₃-catalyzed C-S bond formation via C-H functionalization. The approach provides the advantage of synthesis of benzothiazoles without the conventional use of aryl aldehyde/carboxylic acid precursors employing the less expensive iron(III) catalyst.

Control of selectivity in the preparation of 2-substituted benzoazoles by adjusting the surface hydrophobicity in two solid-based sulfonic acid catalysts

A series of metal-free tandem reactions for the synthesis of pharmaceutically important 2-substituted benzoazoles from isothiocyanates and 2-aminothiophenol under catalyst-free conditions in the presence of Et-PMO-Me-PrSO₃H (1a) and SBA-15-PrSO₃H (1b) as solid acids were carried out in a highly selective way under solvent free conditions. A significant selectivity changeover toward either 2-mercaptobenzoxazole or 2-aminobenzoazole derivatives could be achieved by changing the employed catalyst from the relatively hydrophobic material 1a to the more hydrophilic catalyst 1b. This simple experimental procedure with a novel selective approach toward benzoazoles accompanied by green and reusable catalysts could be considered as an alternative to the existing methods for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzoazole derivatives.

Synthesis of 2-Cyanobenzothiazoles via Pd-Catalyzed/Cu-Assisted C-H Functionalization/Intramolecular C-S Bond Formation from N-Arylcyanothioformamides

We report herein on a catalytic system involving palladium and copper to achieve the cyclization of N-arylcyanothioformamides and the synthesis of 2-cyanobenzothiazoles. The C-H functionalization/intramolecular C-S bond formation reaction was achieved in the presence of air, using 2.0 equiv of an inorganic additive (KI). In many cases, the reaction led to a sole product regioselectively obtained in good yields, allowing the synthesis of a wide range of substituted 2-cyanobenzothiazole derivatives, providing valuable building blocks for the design of more complex heterocyclic or molecular labeling systems.

A Green Approach to 2-Substituted Benzo- and Naphthothiazoles via N-bromosuccinimide/Bromide-Mediated C(aryl)-S Bond Formation

2-Substituted benzo- and naphthothiazoles have been conveniently prepared from the intramolecular cyclization of phenylthioureas and activated thiobenzanilides or the coupling of isothiocyanates with amines under mild conditions using N-bromosuccinimide/tetrabutylammonium bromide in 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) under ambient conditions. The reactions produce moderate to excellent yields with good functional group tolerance and avoid the use of harsh thermal conditions, corrosive reagents, halogenated solvents, toxic metal salts, and expensive metal catalysts, and are amenable to preparations on a gram-scale.

Eelectrosynthesis of benzothiazole derivatives via C–H thiolation

Benzothiazole derivatives are essential intermediates in synthesizing a wide variety of medical and pharmaceutical compounds, and there is a great demand for a simple and efficient method to synthesize benzothiazoles under mild reaction conditions. Organic electrosynthesis as an energy-efficient process represents an environmentally benign and safer method than traditional methods for organic synthesis. Herein, we present bromine-free and straightforward synthesis of 2-amino benzothiazole derivatives via the reaction of aniline derivatives and ammonium thiocyanate using electrosynthesis in the presence of sodium bromide both as an electrolyte and as a brominating agent at room temperature in isopropyl alcohol (i-PrOH) as a solvent. The reaction of ammonium thiocyanate via C–H thiolation routes, using various aniline derivatives, resulted in a simple, green, and bromine-free synthesis of 2-amino benzothiazole in moderate to good yields under mild reaction conditions. Riluzole drug can be produced using the same procedure in moderate yields.

Ruthenium Catalyzed Intramolecular C-X (X=C, N, O, S) Bond Formation via C-H Functionalization: An Overview

Ruthenium catalyzed C-H activation is well known for its high tolerance towards the functional group and broad applicability in organic synthesis and molecular sciences, with significant applications in pharmaceutical industries, material sciences, and polymer industry. In the last few decades, enormous progress has been observed with ruthenium-catalyzed C-H activation chemistry. Notably, the vast majority of the C-H functionalization known in the literature are intermolecular, although the intramolecular variant provides fascinating new structural facet starting from the simple molecular scaffolds. Intramolecular C-H functionalization is atom economical and step efficient, results in less formation of undesired products which is easy to purify. This has created a lot of interest in organic chemistry in developing new synthetic strategies for such functionalization. The focus of this review is to present the relatively unexplored intramolecular functionalization of C-H bonds into C-X (X=C, N, O, S) bonds utilizing versatile ruthenium catalysts, their scope, and brief mechanistic discussion.

Chromatography-Free Multicomponent Synthesis of Thioureas Enabled by Aqueous Solution of Elemental Sulfur

The development of a new three-component chromatography-free reaction of isocyanides, amines and elemental sulfur allowed us the straightforward synthesis of thioureas in water. Considering a large pool of organic and inorganic bases, we first optimized the preparation of aqueous polysulfide solution from elemental sulfur. Using polysulfide solution, we were able to omit the otherwise mandatory chromatography, and to isolate the crystalline products directly from the reaction mixture by a simple filtration, retaining the sulfur in the solution phase. A wide range of thioureas synthesized in this way confirmed the reasonable substrate and functional group tolerance of our protocol.

Isatin as a 2-aminobenzaldehyde surrogate: transition metal-free efficient synthesis of 2-(2'-aminophenyl)benzothiazole derivatives

A transition metal-free, convenient, and efficient practical approach has been devised for the synthesis of substituted 2-(2'-aminophenyl)benzothiazoles via a sulfur insertion strategy using isatin derivatives as 2-aminobenzaldehyde surrogates. KI assisted one-pot operation of isatin, arylamines and elemental sulfur resulted in the formation of a C-N and two C-S bonds and cascade cleavage of the isatin ring resulting in the formation of 2-(2'-aminophenyl)benzothiazoles. The significant features of this strategy are the readily available and inexpensive starting materials, broad substrate scope, sustainable reaction conditions and high yield of products. Importantly, the strategy was found to be appropriate for gram scale synthesis (>10 g) of 2-(2'-aminophenyl)benzothiazole derivatives. Moreover, the excellent photophysical properties (ΦF up to 60%) of 2-(2'-aminophenyl)benzothiazole derivatives provide huge scope in materials science.

Direct Sulfenylation of the Purine C8-H Bond with Thiophenols

The one-step copper-mediated regioselective formation of the C₈-S bond for purine derivatives with arylthiols was achieved using air as the green oxidant in the presence of 1.0 equiv of Na₂CO₃ and stoichiometric CuCl and 1,10-phenanthroline monohydrate. This method provides an economical, easy-to-handle, and effective method for the synthesis of 8-sulfenylpurine derivatives in moderate to excellent yields. The reaction is selective for C8 over C2 and C6. It also tolerates a free amine on the purine, and it has a wide substrate scope.

Pushing the boundaries of C–H bond functionalization chemistry using flow technology

C–H functionalization chemistry is one of the most vibrant research areas within synthetic organic chemistry. While most researchers focus on the development of small-scale batch-type transformations, more recently such transformations have been carried out in flow reactors to explore new chemical space, to boost reactivity or to enable scalability of this important reaction class. Herein, an up-to-date overview of C–H bond functionalization reactions carried out in continuous-flow microreactors is presented. A comprehensive overview of reactions which establish the formal conversion of a C–H bond into carbon–carbon or carbon–heteroatom bonds is provided; this includes metal-assisted C–H bond cleavages, hydrogen atom transfer reactions and C–H bond functionalizations which involve an SE-type process to aromatic or olefinic systems. Particular focus is devoted to showcase the advantages of flow processing to enhance C–H bond functionalization chemistry. Consequently, it is our hope that this review will serve as a guide to inspire researchers to push the boundaries of C–H functionalization chemistry using flow technology.

Three-component synthesis of 1,4-benzothiazines via iodide-catalyzed aerobic C–H sulfuration with elemental sulfur

Five to Six: Beyond the well-established thiazole formation from elemental sulfur, this method provides the first access to the corresponding six-membered N,S-heterocyclic products via direct functionalization of multiple C–H bonds.

Ligand-controlled palladium catalysis enables switch between mono- and di-arylation of primary aromatic amines with 2-halobenzothiazoles

Mono- and di-arylation was switchable simply by varying the applied ligand from Xantphos to a pyridine-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand.

Electroorganic Synthesis under Flow Conditions

Despite the long history of electroorganic synthesis, it did not participate in the mainstream of chemical research for a long time. This is probably due to the lack of equipment and standardized protocols. However, nowadays organic electrochemistry is witnessing a renaissance, and a wide range of interesting electrochemical transformations and methodologies have been developed, not only for academic purposes but also for large scale industrial production. Depending on the source of electricity, electrochemical methods can be inherently green and environmentally benign and can be easily controlled to achieve high levels of selectivity. In addition, the generation and consumption of reactive or unstable intermediates and hazardous reagents can be achieved in a safe way. Limitations of traditional batch-type electrochemical methods such as the restricted electrode surface, the necessity of supporting electrolytes, and the difficulties in scaling up can be alleviated using electrochemical flow cells. Microreactors offer high surface-to-volume ratios and enable precise control over temperature, residence time, flow rate, and pressure. In addition, efficient mixing, enhanced mass and heat transfer, and handling of small volumes lead to simpler scaling-up protocols and minimize safety concerns. Electrolysis under flow conditions reduces the possibility of overoxidation as the reaction mixture is flown continuously out of the reactor in contrast to traditional batch-type electrolysis cells. In this Account, we highlight our contributions in the area of electroorganic synthesis under flow conditions over the past decade. We have designed and manufactured different generations of electrochemical flow cells. The first-generation reactor was effectively used in developing a simple one-step synthesis of diaryliodonium salts and used in proof-of-concept reactions such as the trifluoromethylation of electron-deficient alkenes via Kolbe electrolysis of trifluoroacetic acid in addition to the selective deprotection of the isonicotinyloxycarbonyl (iNoc) group from carbonates and thiocarbonates. The improved second-generation flow cell enabled the development of efficient synthesis of isoindolinones, benzothiazoles, and thiazolopyridines, achieving gram-scale for some of the products easily without changing the reactor design or reoptimizing the reaction parameters. In addition, the same reactor was used in the development of an efficient continuous flow electrochemical synthesis of hypervalent iodine reagents. The generated unstable hypervalent iodine reagents were easily used without isolation in various oxidative transformations in a coupled flow/flow manner and could be easily transformed into bench-stable reagents via quantitative ligand exchange with the appropriate acids. Our second-generation reactor was further improved and commercialized by Vapourtec Ltd. We have demonstrated the power of online analysis in accelerating optimizations and methodology development. Online mass spectrometry enabled fast screening of the charge needed for the cyclization of amides to isoindolinones. The power of online 2D-HPLC combined with a Design of Experiments approach empowered the rapid optimization of stereoselective electrochemical alkoxylations of amino acid derivatives.

DMSO-mediated palladium-catalyzed cyclization of two isothiocyanates via C–H sulfurization: a new route to 2-aminobenzothiazoles

DMSO was found to activate arylisothiocyanates for self-nucleophilic addition. A subsequent intramolecular C–H sulfurization catalyzed by PdBr₂ enables access to a wide range of 2-aminobenzothiazole derivatives in moderate to good yields. This is the first example of a DMSO-mediated Pd-catalyzed synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles through cyclization/C–H sulfurization of two isothiocyanates.

DMSO-initiated coupling of two isothiocyanates; Pd-catalyzed C–H sulfurization.

Recent advances in intramolecular C–O/C–N/C–S bond formationviaC–H functionalization

This review presents the construction of C–X bonds (X = O/N/S) by using intramolecular C–H functionalization for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds.

Copper-Catalyzed Oxygenation Approach to Oxazoles from Amines, Alkynes, and Molecular Oxygen

A novel and efficient oxygenation approach to trisubstituted oxazoles via a copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative dehydrogenative annulation of amines, alkynes, and O₂ has been developed. This transformation combines dioxygen activation and oxidative C-H bond functionalization and provides a practical protocol for the preparation of oxazole derivatives, which are privileged units found in various bioactive compounds or other natural products. ¹⁸O-labeling experiments were conducted to reveal that oxygenation was involved in this chemistry.

A metal-free synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles through aminyl radical addition to aryl isothiocyanates

A convenient synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles, starting from aryl isothiocyanates and formamides under metal-free conditions, is described. Various secondary and tertiary amine- and even α-amino acid-derived formamides can be used as amino sources in this process. Mechanistic studies suggest that the reaction is initiated by decarbonylative aminyl radical formation in the presence of n-Bu4NI and TBHP, followed by aminyl radical addition to isothiocyanates and cyclization via sulfur centred radical intermediates.

Copper-catalyzed synthesis of 2-aminophenyl benzothiazoles: a novel approach

Substituted 2-aminophenyl benzothiazoles have been constructed from thiourea via copper-catalyzed desulfurization/nucleophilic substitution followed by domino intra- and intermolecular C–N cross-coupling reactions under moderate reaction conditions.

Visible light photoredox catalysis: conversion of a mixture of thiophenols and nitriles into 2-substituted benzothiazoles via consecutive C–S and C–N bond formation reactions

A novel, visible-light-mediated method for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzothiazoles from thiophenols and alkyl/aryl nitriles in the presence of eosin Y under air atmosphere is disclosed.

Metal-Free Synthesis of 2-Aminobenzothiazoles via Iodine-Catalyzed and Oxygen-Promoted Cascade Reactions of Isothiocyanatobenzenes with Amines

In this paper, a highly efficient and sustainable synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles through the cascade reactions of isothiocyanatobenzenes with primary or secondary amines by using iodine as a catalyst and oxygen as an oxidant is presented. Mechanistically, the formation of the title compounds involves the in situ formation of the required benzothiourea intermediate followed by its intramolecular cross dehydrogenative coupling of a C(sp²)-H bond and a S-H bond. To our knowledge, this should be the first example in which 2-aminobenzothiazoles are efficiently prepared from simple and cheap isothiocyanates and amines under metal-free conditions by using iodine as a catalyst and molecular oxygen as an oxidant with water as the byproduct. Compared with literature protocols, this method eliminates the use of ortho-halo-substituted precursors, expensive transition-metal catalysts, and hazardous oxidants.

Elemental sulfur mediated 2-substituted benzothiazole formation from 2-aminobenzenethiols and arylacetylenes or styrenes under metal-free conditions

2-Substituted-benzothiazole derivatives were selectively prepared from 2-aminothiophenols and arylacetylenes or styrenes using elemental sulfur as the efficient oxidant.

Synthesis of Bioactive 2-(Arylamino)thiazolo[5,4-f]-quinazolin-9-ones via the Hügershoff Reaction or Cu- Catalyzed Intramolecular C-S Bond Formation

A library of thirty eight novel thiazolo[5,4-f]quinazolin-9(8H)-one derivatives (series 8, 10, 14 and 17) was prepared via the Hügershoff reaction and a Cu catalyzed intramolecular C-S bond formation, helped by microwave-assisted technology when required. The efficient multistep synthesis of the key 6-amino-3-cyclopropylquinazolin-4(3H)-one (3) has been reinvestigated and performed on a multigram scale from the starting 5-nitroanthranilic acid. The inhibitory potency of the final products was evaluated against five kinases involved in Alzheimer's disease and showed that some molecules of the 17 series described in this paper are particularly promising for the development of novel multi-target inhibitors of kinases.

Ruthenium Catalyzed Intramolecular C-S Coupling Reactions: Synthetic Scope and Mechanistic Insight

A ruthenium catalyzed intramolecular C-S coupling reaction of N-arylthioureas for the synthesis of 2-aminobenzothiazoles has been developed. Kinetic, isotope labeling, and computational studies reveal the involvement of an electrophilic ruthenation pathway instead of a direct C-H activation. Stereoelectronic effect of meta-substituents on the N-arylthiourea dictates the final regioselective outcome of the reaction.