The reactions of trans-1 -iodo-2-isothiocyanatocyclohexane with a number of carbon nucleophiles to form 2substituted-2-thiazolines are described. Reactions of several vic-iodoisothiocyanates with butyl-lithium give products which are dependent on the solvent and/or temperature.IN preceding papers we have reported methods for the conversion of vic-iodoisothiocyanates into thiazolidin-2ones,l 2-amino-2-thiazolines,l and 2-alkoxy-2-thiazolines.2 We report here reactions of a representative vic-iodoisothiocyanate (1), with a series of carbon nucleophiles to form 2-cyano-, 2-alkyl-, and 2-aryl-2thiazolines. The latter compounds are of synthetic value since protons on carbon atoms attached to C-2 of the thiazoline nucleus are acidic; use has been made of this property by Meyers and his co-workers in the synthesis of protected carbonyl compounds. For example, the labile P-hydroxyaldehyde (4) is formed when the litliio-thiazoline (5) is treated with cyclohexanone and the thiazolinyl moiety is removed subsequently by reduction and mercury(I1)-catalysed hydrolysis. Hackler and Balko recently reported the preparation of two 2-alkyl-2-thiazolines from the reaction of carbon nucleophiles with vic-chloro-and vic-bromo-isothiocyanates but their products were obtained in only moderate yields (35% and 42%).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION/ P C l t SCHEME 1 out by examination of the mass spectrum, which showed fragmentation peaks corresponding to the loss of C1, CH,Cl, and SCH,Cl from the molecular ion, but not to TABLE 1 Reactions of trans-l-iodo-2-isothiocyanatocyclohexane H RM KCN p-OMeC,H,CZCLi PhCrCLi Me,SiCXLi MeMgI EtMgI BuMgBr PhLi Some products were prepared by several modifications ; Isolated by p.1.c. the loss of CN, CH,CN, or SCH,CN. Moreover, the use of 13C n.m.r. substituent chemical-shift values allows differentiation between the structures (2) and (3); the combined a-effect of a carbon bearing a sulphur and chlorine atom would afford a chemical shift of ca. 6c 51 (C1= +31, SR = +20) (observed 6c 42.5) compared with a chemical shift of ca. aC 24 (SR = +20, CN = +4) for a carbon bearing a sulphur atom and a nitrile group. the yield quoted is the highest obtained. After distillation.