Hydroxy Ketones Part XIII-Fries Rearrangement of the Phenyl Esters of Thiophene-2-Carboxylic Acid

Abstract

Fries migration of the esters of phenol, isomeric cresols and naphthols with thiophene-2-carboxylic acid has been investigated at 120 Degree C and 160 Degree C in absence of a solvent, with a view to study the behaviour of the sulphur atom in the thiophene ring towards an acid catalyst and its interference in the complex formation necessary for the migration. The isomeric ortho- and para-hydroxy ketones have been isolated employing chemical methods and each is characterised by the preparation of its 2:4-dinitrophenylhydrazone. The yields of the hydroxy ketones were poor and ranged from 4-8% in the case of para and from 9-18% in the case of ortho. Further, in all cases studied, above 50% of the ester was recovered unchanged. These suggest that the charge density at the sulphur atom is greater than at the phenoxyl oxygen atom as compared with similar migrations high and no unreached ester was encountered.