Synlett 2008(7): 1009-1012  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1072503
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Iron(III) Chloride Catalyzed Nazarov Cyclization of 3-Substituted Thiophene Derivatives

Motoi Kawatsura, Yuji Higuchi, Shuichi Hayase, Masato Nanjo, Toshiyuki Itoh*
Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyama-minami, Tottori 680-8552, Japan
Fax: +81(857)315259; e-Mail: titoh@chem.tottori-u.ac.jp;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 9 January 2008
Publication Date:
17 March 2008 (online)

Abstract

The Nazarov cyclization of silicon-free 3-substituted thiophene derivatives was effectively catalyzed by 10 mol% FeCl3, which provided the desired cyclized trans product in good yield.

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Scandium-catalyzed Nazarov cyclization of 2- or 3-substituted silicon-free thiophene substrates was reported by Frontier et al., see: ref. 10g.

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Nazarov Reaction of 1a; Typical Procedure (Table 1, entry 2): To a solution of FeCl3 (3.2 mg, 0.02 mmol) in toluene (0.4 mL) was added 1a (54 mg, 0.2 mmol) at r.t., and the mixture was stirred at 60 °C for 5 h. The reaction mixture was quenched with H2O, and extracted with Et2O. The combined organic layers were dried over anhyd MgSO4 and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was purified by preparative silica gel TLC (hexane-EtOAc = 4:1) to give 2a (49 mg, 90%) as a white solid; R f 0.41 (hexane-EtOAc, 4:1); mp 96-97 °C. 1H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 3.83 (s, 3 H), 3.92 (d, J = 3.0 Hz, 1 H), 5.11 (d, J = 3.0 Hz, 1 H), 7.20-7.22 (m, 3 H), 7.30-7.73 (m, 3 H), 7.42 (d, J = 5.0 Hz, 1 H). 13C NMR (125 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 46.9, 52.9, 68.2, 119.6, 127.2, 128.0, 129.2, 132.6, 140.6, 144.4, 168.4, 172.7, 189.7. IR (KBr): 642, 698, 733, 1013, 1161, 1240, 1321, 1433, 1701, 1740 cm-1. EI-MS: m/z = 272. HRMS (EI): m/z calcd for C15H12O3S: 272.0507; found: 272.0509.

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Most combinations resulted in no reaction, except for FeCl3 in toluene (59%), FeCl3 in dichloroethane (32%), Fe(ClO4)2·6H2O in dichloroethane (32%) or Fe(ClO4)3·nH2O in CH2Cl2 (30%).

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Decarbomethoxylated product 3a: 1H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 2.93 (dd, J = 2.7, 18.5 Hz, 1 H), 3.50 (dd, J = 7.1, 18.5 Hz, 1 H), 4.69 (dd, J = 2.7, 7.1 Hz, 1 H), 7.17-7.20 (m, 3 H), 7.24-7.29 (m, 1 H), 7.32-7.35 (m, 2 H), 7.38 (d,
J = 5.1 Hz, 1 H). 13C NMR (125 MHz, CDCl3): δ = 43.0, 52.2, 119.3, 127.0, 127.5, 129.1, 132.2, 142.5, 146.5, 173.6, 197.2.

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This decarbomethoxylation reaction might be caused by trace amount of H2O, because the reaction was conducted under air.