Distant functionalization via incorporation of thiophene moieties in electrophilic reactions promoted by samarium diiodide
Methyl thiophene-2-carboxylate, methyl 3-(thien-2-yl)acrylate, and methyl 5,2'-bithiophene-2-carboxylate were utilized as the synthetic equivalents of pentanoate 5-anion, pentanoate 4,5-dianion, heptanoate 7-anion, and nonanoate-8,9-dianion. By the promotion of samarium diiodide, these thiophene-incorporating compounds reacted with aldehydes, ketones, and conjugated esters regioselectively at the thienyl rings. Long-chain esters with remote hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, including an antiarthritis agent, a shellac component, and an inhibitory agent of spore germination, were prepared after reductive desulfurization on Raney nickel.
Yang
SM
Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106, Republic of China.
Nandy
SK
Selvakumar
AR
Fang
JM