Carbon-sulfur Bond Research Articles

Solvent-catalyzed umpolung carbonsulfur bond-forming reactions by nucleophilic addition of thiolate and sulfinate ions to in situ–derived nitrosoalkenes in deep eutectic solvents

The low transition temperature mixture formed by lactic acid and choline chloride proved to be effective for an umpolung carbonsulfur bond formation at the α-position of α-chloro oximes. Aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic thiolate and sulfinate ions can be smoothly added to in situ–derived nitrosoalkenes affording the corresponding sulfenylated or sulfonylated adducts, respectively, in a very good yield (up to >98%). This methodology offers the advantage of working at room temperature and under air in biodegradable and cost-effective reaction mixtures, which can be used both as solvents and catalysts (20 mol %), thereby avoiding the use of anhydrous, hazardous volatile organic solvents and an inert atmosphere.

Transition metal-promoted synthesis of 2-aryl/heteroaryl-thioquinazoline: C-S Bond formation by “Chan-Lam Cross-Coupling” Reaction

An efficient method for the synthesis of S-aryl /heteroaryl-quinazoline has been developed through the cross-coupling of 1,4-dihydroquinazoline with a variety of aryl and heteroaryl boronic acids assisted by [Cu(OAc) 2] as the catalyst for the formation of carbon-sulfur bonds. This newly developed method demonstrates that the conditions of the traditional copper-catalyzed Chan-Lam reaction can be improved. Optimized reaction involves base, solvent and catalyst. An efficient method for the synthesis of S-aryl/heteroaryl-quinazoline has been developed through the cross-coupling of 1,4-dihydroquinazoline with a variety of aryl and heteroaryl boronic acids, assisted by [Cu(OAc)2] as the catalyst for the formation of carbon-sulfur bonds. This new method demonstrates that the conditions of the traditional copper-catalyzed Chan-Lam reaction can be improved.

Recent developments in sulfur-carbon bond formation reaction involving thiosulfates.

Sulfur-carbon bond construction has gained great attention recently since sulfur-containing organic molecules serve important functions in the pharmaceutical industry, agrochemistry, food chemistry, and materials science. Diverse sulfur sources have been developed over the past few decades, in which thiosulfates showed unique properties in many transformations. In this Perspective, we summarized recent research on sulfur-carbon bond formation involving thiosulfates.

Palladium-catalyzed, unsymmetrical homocoupling of thiophenes via carbon-sulfur bond activation: a new avenue to homocoupling reactions.

The Pd-catalyzed, CN-directed unsymmetrical synthesis of 2,4'-bithiophenes via an unprecedented homocoupling reaction is described. The NH2/CN/SMe arrangement breaks the routine. The cooperative performance of the functional groups in thiophenes would open up a new vision in the field of metal catalysis homocoupling reactions by joining the electrophilic and nucleophilic motifs of the substrate. Furthermore, it is found that the α-chelating effect of the carbonyl group in amino thiophene offers a new class of synthetic protocols for C-N cross-coupling with arylboronic acids. The bidentate N,O-chelation provides a series of advantages such as copper-catalyzed, ligand- and base-free under open-flask conditions. Interestingly, the combination of the C-N cross-coupling/homocoupling reactions in a domino fashion led to the bithiophene adducts featuring the C(Ar)-N bond cleavage in the nitrogen that bridged between the two thiophene units.

N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed stereoselective construction of olefinic carbon-sulfur bonds via cross-coupling reaction of gem-difluoroalkenes and thiols.

A novel organocatalytic olefinic carbon-sulfur bond forming reaction was developed. Under the catalysis of 10 mol% stable N-heterocyclic carbene, thiols undergo direct nucleophilic substitution reaction with gem-difluoroalkenes to produce α-fluorovinyl thioethers in high yields with excellent Z-selectivity. In this process, bases are not necessary.

Sulfur-directed carbon-sulfur bond cleavage for Rh-catalyzed regioselective alkynylthiolation of alkynes.

Sulfur-directed sp C-S bond cleavage along with a regioselective reaction with alkynes proceeded to give (Z)-enyne sulfides in high to excellent yields. Mechanistic studies were conducted, including characterization of an intermediate. An intramolecular variant realized the construction of a dibenzodithiepin skeleton, which is a seven-membered ring with two sulfur atoms.

A capped trigonal pyramidal molybdenum hydrido complex and an unusually mild sulfur-carbon bond cleavage reaction.

DFT calculations reveal that a reported molybdenum hydride complex has an unprecedented geometry with the molybdenum in the base of trigonal pyramid defined by three thiolate ligands with a phosphine ligand on the apex and a hydride capping a PS2 face. This complex reacts with methanol to produce a sulfido complex by a new reaction: the protonation of an ipso carbon of a thiolate ligand by coordinated methanol.

CHARMM force field parameters for 2′-hydroxybiphenyl-2-sulfinate, 2-hydroxybiphenyl, and related analogs

2′-Hydroxybiphenyl-2-sulfinate (HBPS) desulfinase (DszB) catalyzes the cleavage of the carbon-sulfur bond from HBPS in the final step of microbial 4S pathway desulfurization reactions. DszB is notable for its substrate specificity and exhibits product inhibition, both of which hinder the overall 4S pathway turnover rate. To understand the molecular-level contributions to substrate and inhibitor binding to DszB, we plan to perform molecular dynamic simulations bound to an array of naphthenic molecules and biphenyl analogues of HBPS. However, many of the small molecules we are interested in are not included in standard force field packages, and thus, we must first produce accurate molecular mechanics force fields. Here, we develop and validate CHARMM-compatible force field parameters for the HBPS substrate, the 2-hydroxybiphenyl product, and potential inhibitors including: 2,2′-biphenol, 2-biphenyl carboxylic acid, 1,8-naphthosultam, and 1,8-naphthosultone. The selected molecules represent biphenyl compounds having both a single and double functional group and the planar naphthenic molecule class, all likely present in the oil-rich environment surrounding DszB-producing microorganisms. The Force Field Toolkit (ffTK) in VMD was used to optimize charge, bond distance, angle, and dihedral parameters. Optimized geometries were determined from quantum mechanical calculations. Molecular simulations of the molecules in explicit and implicit water solutions were conducted to assess the abilities of optimized parameters to recapitulate optimized geometries. Calculated infrared (IR) spectra were obtained and compared with experimental IR spectra for validation of the optimized MM parameters.

Recycling of waste tire rubber: Microwave devulcanization and incorporation in a thermoset resin

This study focused on the possibility of recycling Waste Tire Rubber (WTR) to be used as polymer modifier. Thus, WTR was grinded into powder, at ambient temperature, with a disc mill PQ500 and microwave electromagnetic energy was used to devulcanize this powder with the final aim of producing a new composite by its incorporation in a thermoset resin. The influence of the treatment microwave energy on the devulcanization ratio was investigated. FTIR analysis revealed that rupture of Sulfur-Sulfur (SS) and Carbon-Sulfur (CS) bonds have occurred during the treatment. Swelling analysis showed that the microwave treatment can lead to a very significant degree of devulcanization. The Ground Tire Rubber (GTR) and the Devulcanized Ground Tire Rubber (DGTR) were then separately used to prepare epoxy based composites. It appeared that epoxy composites filled with DGTR have better mechanical properties than those filled with untreated GTR. This result agrees with scanning electron microscopy observations which highlighted a better interface coherence between DGTR and epoxy. A complementary analysis pointed out a linear relationship between the rubber modulus and the number of crosslink per chain.

Hydrolytic cleavage of both CS2 carbon-sulfur bonds by multinuclear Pd(II) complexes at room temperature.

Developing homogeneous catalysts that convert CS2 and COS pollutants into environmentally benign products is important for both fundamental catalytic research and applied environmental science. Here we report a series of air-stable dimeric Pd complexes that mediate the facile hydrolytic cleavage of both CS2 carbon-sulfur bonds at 25 °C to produce CO2 and trimeric Pd complexes. Oxidation of the trimeric complexes with HNO3 regenerates the dimeric starting complexes with the release of SO2 and NO2. Isotopic labelling confirms that the carbon and oxygen atoms of CO2 originate from CS2 and H2O, respectively, and reaction intermediates were observed by gas-phase and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, as well as by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We also propose a plausible mechanistic scenario based on the experimentally observed intermediates. The mechanism involves intramolecular attack by a nucleophilic Pd-OH moiety on the carbon atom of coordinated µ-OCS2, which on deprotonation cleaves one C-S bond and simultaneously forms a C-O bond. Coupled C-S cleavage and CO2 release to yield [(bpy)3Pd3(µ3-S)2](NO3)2 (bpy, 2,2'-bipyridine) provides the thermodynamic driving force for the reaction.

Kinetics and Mechanism of Bioactivation via S-Oxygenation of Anti-Tubercular Agent Ethionamide by Peracetic Acid.

The kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of the important antitubercular agent, ethionamide, ETA (2-ethylthioisonicotinamide), by peracetic acid (PAA) have been studied. It is effectively a biphasic reaction with an initial rapid first phase of the reaction which is over in about 5 s and a second slower phase of the reaction which can run up to an hour. The first phase involves the addition of a single oxygen atom to ethionamide to form the S-oxide. The second phase involves further oxidation of the S-oxide to desulfurization of ETA to give 2-ethylisonicotinamide. In contrast to the stability of most organosulfur compounds, the S-oxide of ETA is relatively stable and can be isolated. In conditions of excess ETA, the stoichiometry of the reaction was strictly 1:1: CH3CO3H + Et(C5H4)C(═S)NH2 → CH3CO2H + Et(C5H4)C(═NH)SOH. In this oxidation, it was apparent that only the sulfur center was the reactive site. Though ETA was ultimately desulfurized, only the S-oxide was stable. Electrospray ionization (ESI) spectral analysis did not detect any substantial formation of the sulfinic and sulfonic acids. This suggests that cleavage of the carbon-sulfur bond occurs at the sulfenic acid stage, resulting in the formation of an unstable sulfur species that can react further to form more stable sulfur species. In this oxidation, no sulfate formation was observed. ESI spectral analysis data showed a final sulfur species in the form of a dimeric sulfur monoxide species, H3S2O2. We derived a bimolecular rate constant for the formation of the S-oxide of (3.08 ± 0.72) × 102 M-1 s-1. Oxidation of the S-oxide further to give 2-ethylisonicotinamide gave zero order kinetics.

Role of the sulfur to α-carbon thioether bridges in thurincin H

Thurincin H is a small protein produced by Bacillus thuringiensis SF361 with gram-positive antimicrobial properties. The toxins produced by B. thuringiensis are widely used in the agriculture as, e.g. natural preservatives in dairy products. The structure of thurincin H possesses four covalent sulfur to -carbon bonds that involve the cysteine side-chains; these bonds are probably responsible for the shape and stability of the protein and, thereby, for its antimicrobial properties. To examine the influence of the formation of the sulfur-carbon bonds on the folding pathways and stability of the protein, a series of canonical and multiplexed replica-exchange simulations with the coarse-grained UNRES force field was carried out without and with distance restraints imposed on selected S-C atom pairs. It was found that the order of the formation and breaking of the S-C thioether bonds significantly impacts on the foldability and stability of the thurincin H. It was also observed that thioether bridges play a major role in stabilizing the global fold of the protein, although it significantly diminishes the entropy of the system. The maximum foldability of thurincin H was observed in the presence of the optimal set of three out of four thioether bridges. Thus, the results suggest that the presence of ThnB enzyme and other agents that catalyze the formation of thioether bridges can be essential for correct folding of thurincin H and that the formation of the fourth bridge does not seem to facilitate folding; instead, it seems to rigidify the loop and prevent proteolysis.

Relation between Hydrogen Evolution and Hydrodesulfurization Catalysis

AbstractA relation between hydrogen evolution and hydrodesulfurization catalysis was found by density functional theory calculations. The hydrogen evolution reaction and the hydrogenation reaction in hydrodesulfurization share hydrogen as a surface intermediate and, thus, have a common elementary step, which indicates that the same catalyst should perform well for both hydrogen evolution and hydrogenation. If that catalyst also fulfills additional criteria for breaking carbon–sulfur bonds and releasing hydrogen sulfide, it will be a good hydrodesulfurization catalyst. The hydrogen evolution reaction is normally performed at room temperature and standard pressure, whereas the hydrodesulfurization reaction is driven by high temperature and pressure. Owing to the very different operating conditions, the adsorption free energy of hydrogen differs between hydrodesulfurization and the hydrogen evolution reaction, which makes the connection between the two less obvious.

ChemInform Abstract: Iron‐Catalyzed Carbon—Nitrogen, Carbon—Phosphorus and Carbon—Sulfur Bond Formation and Cyclization Reactions

AbstractReview: 184 refs.

Expanding Radical SAM Chemistry by Using Radical Addition Reactions and SAM Analogues.

Radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzymes utilize a [4Fe-4S] cluster to bind SAM and reductively cleave its carbon-sulfur bond to produce a highly reactive 5'-deoxyadenosyl (dAdo) radical. In almost all cases, the dAdo radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from the substrates or from enzymes, thereby initiating a highly diverse array of reactions. Herein, we report a change of the dAdo radical-based chemistry from hydrogen abstraction to radical addition in the reaction of the radical SAM enzyme NosL. This change was achieved by using a substrate analogue containing an olefin moiety. We also showed that two SAM analogues containing different nucleoside functionalities initiate the radical-based reactions with high efficiencies. The radical adduct with the olefin produced in the reaction was found to undergo two divergent reactions, and the mechanistic insights into this process were investigated in detail. Our study demonstrates a promising strategy in expanding radical SAM chemistry, providing an effective way to access nucleoside-containing compounds by using radical SAM-dependent reactions.

Expanding Radical SAM Chemistry by Using Radical Addition Reactions and SAM Analogues

AbstractRadical S‐adenosyl‐l‐methionine (SAM) enzymes utilize a [4Fe‐4S] cluster to bind SAM and reductively cleave its carbon–sulfur bond to produce a highly reactive 5′‐deoxyadenosyl (dAdo) radical. In almost all cases, the dAdo radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from the substrates or from enzymes, thereby initiating a highly diverse array of reactions. Herein, we report a change of the dAdo radical‐based chemistry from hydrogen abstraction to radical addition in the reaction of the radical SAM enzyme NosL. This change was achieved by using a substrate analogue containing an olefin moiety. We also showed that two SAM analogues containing different nucleoside functionalities initiate the radical‐based reactions with high efficiencies. The radical adduct with the olefin produced in the reaction was found to undergo two divergent reactions, and the mechanistic insights into this process were investigated in detail. Our study demonstrates a promising strategy in expanding radical SAM chemistry, providing an effective way to access nucleoside‐containing compounds by using radical SAM‐dependent reactions.

Structural features of the carbon-sulfur chemical bond: a semi-experimental perspective.

In this work semi-experimental and theoretical equilibrium geometries of 10 sulfur-containing organic molecules, as well as 4 oxygenated ones, are determined by means of a computational protocol based on density functional theory. The results collected in the present paper further enhance our online database of accurate semi-experimental equilibrium molecular geometries, adding 13 new molecules containing up to 8 atoms, for 12 of which the first semi-experimental equilibrium structure is reported, to the best of our knowledge. We focus in particular on sulfur-containing compounds, aiming both to provide new accurate data on some rather important chemical moieties, only marginally represented in the literature of the field, and to examine the structural features of carbon-sulfur bonds in the light of the previously presented linear regression approach. The structural changes issuing from substitution of oxygen by sulfur are discussed to get deeper insights on how modifications in electronic structure and nuclear potential can affect equilibrium geometries. With respect to our previous works, we perform non-linear constrained optimizations of equilibrium SE structures with a new general and user-friendly software under development in our group with updated definition of useful statistical indicators.

Visualizing Excited-State Dynamics of a Diaryl Thiophene: Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Scattering as a Probe of Conjugated Molecules.

Conjugated organic polymers based on substituted thiophene units are versatile building blocks of many photoactive materials, such as photochromic molecular switches or solar energy conversion devices. Unraveling the different processes underlying their photochemistry, such as the evolution on different electronic states and multidimensional structural relaxation, is a challenge critical to defining their function. Using femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS) supported by quantum chemical calculations, we visualize the reaction pathway upon photoexcitation of the model compound 2-methyl-5-phenylthiophene. Specifically, we find that the initial wavepacket dynamics of the reaction coordinates occurs within the first ≈1.5 ps, followed by a ≈10 ps thermalization. Subsequent slow opening of the thiophene ring through a cleavage of the carbon-sulfur bond triggers an intersystem crossing to the triplet excited state. Our work demonstrates how a detailed mapping of the excited-state dynamics can be obtained, combining simultaneous structural sensitivity and ultrafast temporal resolution of FSRS with the chemical information provided by time-dependent density functional theory calculations.

Biodesulfurization: How to Make it Work?

Desulfurization biocatalysts have been demonstrated to selectively oxidize and/or cleave carbon–sulfur bonds in a wide range of chemicals, yet an economically viable biodesulfurization process has not been developed. There are two reasons for this: failure to explore the full range of applications of biodesulfurization using existing biocatalysts and a failure to address the key factors preventing the development of biocatalysts with superior biodesulfurization activity. Existing desulfurization biocatalysts can potentially be used to detoxify chemical warfare agents or to produce surfactants, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, polythioesters, and various specialty chemicals. To develop biocatalysts with sufficient activity for a commercial petroleum biodesulfurization process, it will be necessary to overcome product inhibition caused by 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2HBP) and related chemicals and to make more robust biocatalysts. This review will discuss specifically how these limitations can be overcome.

Utilisation of aromatic organosulfur compounds as sulfur sources by Lipomyces starkeyi CBS 1807.

Aromatic organosulfur compounds that contain aryl carbon-sulfur bonds are rare in nature but occur frequently in industrial processes and products. The utilisation of aryl sulfur compounds as a sulfur source has not been described previously among the budding yeasts (phylum Ascomycota, sub-phylum Saccharomycotina). A total of 31 strains representing 30 species and 28 genera of the budding yeasts were assayed for utilisation of benzene sulfonate as source of sulfur. Lipomyces starkeyi CBS 1807 was the only strain in this screen that was able to utilise benzene sulfonate as a sulfur source. Further study of L. starkeyi demonstrated that it could also utilise methyl phenyl sulfoxide, 1-naphthalene sulfonate, 2-naphthalene sulfonate, 1-anthraquinone sulfonate and 2-anthraquinone sulfonate as sulfur sources but not diphenylsulfone. This study represents the first reported case of the utilisation of sulfonated naphthalenes and anthraquinones as sulfur sources by a fungus. However, it should be stressed that the remaining 30 strains in this study were not assayed for the utilisation of these additional aryl sulfur compounds as sulfur sources. The present study highlights the potential of L. starkeyi and related species as a source of novel enzyme activities with possible applications in chemical manufacturing, disposal of xenobiotics and bioremediation.