A simple and atom-economic synthesis of highly substituted thiophenes is demonstrated. Heating a solution of a chalcone and a linear/cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compound with elemental sulfur in CH3CN in the presence of NEt3 at 80 °C afforded the corresponding substituted thiophenes in good to excellent yields.
Key words
multi-component reactions - substituted thiophenes - sulfur - chalcones - 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds