Rf. English et al., CONVERSION OF IMINO-1,2,3-DITHIAZOLES INTO 2-CYANOBENZOTHIAZOLES, CYANOIMIDOYL CHLORIDES AND DIATOMIC SULFUR, Journal of the Chemical Society. Perkin transactions. I, (3), 1997, pp. 201-205
Primary aromatic amines condense with 4,5-dichloro-1,2,3-dithiazolium
chloride 1 to give high yields of the N-aryl imines 2 which on heating
give 2-cyanobenzothiazoles 3, thus providing a simple two-step route
to these heterocycles from the appropriate aniline. This thermolysis i
s favoured by electron donating substituents in the aniline ring, and
retarded by electron withdrawing groups in favour of a second pathway
in which both dithiazole sulfur atoms are lost to form cyanoimidoyl ch
lorides 4. This is the sole pathway when both aniline ortho positions
are substituted. Analogous N-alkyl imines 5, prepared from the salt 1
and the bis(trimethylsilyl) derivatives of the amine, also decompose w
ith loss of both sulfur atoms as singlet diatomic sulfur, S-2. 4-Chlor
o-5-methylimino-5H-1,2,3-diathiazole 5a does this at 140-150 degrees C
and the S-2 generated is intercepted with 2,3-diphenylbutadiene, 2,3-
dimethylbutadiene and norbornene to give 16a, 16b and 17 respectively.