ChemInform Abstract: Ring Expansion vs. Cleavage of the Exocyclic Double Bond of 2-Cycloalkylidenedihydrobenzothiazoles and -benzimidazoles by Methanesulfonyl Azide.

Abstract

Deprotonation of the 2-cycloalkylbenzothiazolium perchlorates 1f-h with sodium hydride in the presence of methanesulfonyl azide (3) affords the spirocyclic dihydro-1,4-benzothiazines 9f-h together with small amounts of the 2-iminobenzothiazole 5. The 2-cycloalkylidenedihydrobenzimidazoles 11e-h are generated by deprotonation with potassium hydride from the corresponding 2-cycloalkylbenzimidazolium salts 10e-h, and trapped with 3 to yield the zwitterions 12e-h. Whereas 12h is thermally unstable, 12e-g are isolated and thermolysed at 20-80 °C. The cyclopropyl zwitterion 12e decomposes in an ill-defined way, only at temperatures above 80 °C. In contrast, 12f,g, and, in particular, 12h, decompose more readily to furnish the products of ring expansion (13f-h) and those of a [3 + 2] cycloreversion (6 and 14) of intermediate spirocyclic triazolines. Products that might be indicative of the intervention of hypothetical zwitterions of type 8 cannot be detected.