N‐Sulfanylimides as the Sulfur Source for Alkyl Allenyl Sulfoxides via [2,3]‐Sigmatropic Rearrangement

Abstract

AbstractSulfenyl chlorides are a reliable starting material to access allenyl sulfoxides with aryl or haloalkyl groups by way of sulfenate ester formation followed by [2,3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement. Application of the chemistry of alkanesulfenyl chlorides is much less common due to competing fates along the reaction pathway. In this paper, N‐sulfanylsuccimides (thiosuccinimides) are shown to be a viable replacement for sulfenyl chlorides. A number of allenyl alkyl sulfoxides are prepared in fair to good yields (21–73 %, 21 examples). In addition, some butyn‐1,4‐diols can be selectively monofunctionalized to form allenyl sulfoxides (26–71 %) with a hydroxyalkyl group geminal to the sulfur. Butynediols also permit synthetic access to dienes via successive sulfenate ester formation and [2,3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement reactions. N‐2‐Trimethylsilylethylthosucinimides were among the highest yielding of the thioimides.