ORGANIC LETTERS Phosphorus Pentasulfide: A Mild and 2000 Vol. 2, No. 20 Versatile Catalyst/Reagent for the 3213-3216 Preparation of Dithiocarboxylic Esters Arumugam Sudalai, Subbareddy Kanagasabapathy, and Brian C. Benicewicz* NYS Center for Polymer Synthesis and Department of Chemistry, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 [email protected] Received August 2, 2000 ABSTRACT The reaction of carboxylic acids (1) with a variety of thiols or alcohols in the presence of phosphorus pentasulfide (P4S10) as a catalyst and reagent (20−40 mol %) proceeded effectively to afford the corresponding dithiocarboxylic esters (2) in high yields. Esters of dithiocarboxylic acids are versatile synthons in or thioamide precursors,6 (iii) thionation of thioesters using organic synthesis,1 valuable sensitizers in the manufacture Lawesson’s reagents,7 (iv) oxidative sulfuration of benzyl of dyes and photographic materials,2 potent agents in halides or benzaldehydes with elemental sulfur under alkaline bactericidal, fungicidal, and antitumor activities,3 and ef- conditions,8 (v) transesterification of dithioesters with thiols,9 ficient reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer and (vi) exchange of bis(thiocarbonyl) disulfide with azo agents for living radical polymerization.4 They are generally compounds.10 Many of the published procedures suffer from prepared by the following methods: (i) alkylation of dithio the following disadvantages: expensive or scarcely available acid salts,5 prepared by the reaction of carbon disulfide either reagents, use of strongly basic conditions, use of large excess with organometallic reagents and nucleophile carbanions or of reagents often resulting in quite variable yields, and with aromatic compounds under Friedel-Crafts conditions, incompatibility of certain reactive functional groups (NO2, (ii) thiohydrolysis of imidothiolates, prepared from nitrile CN, etc.) under Grignard conditions. Phosphorus pentasulfide (P4S10), a commercially available reagent, has been widely (1) (a) Metzer, P. Synthesis 1992, 1185. (b) Meyers, A. I.; Tait, T. A.; Comins, D. L. Tetrahedron Lett. 1978, 4657. (c) Jansons, E. Russ. Chem. ReV. 1976, 45, 1035. (6) (a) Ramadas, S. R.; Srinivasan, P. S.; Ramachandran, J.; Sastry, V. (2) (a) Edward, H. D.; Kendall, J. D. U.S. Patent 2,535,276, 1950. Chem. V. S. K. Synthesis 1983,605.(b)Voss,J.InComprehensiVeOrganic Abstr. 1951, 45, 4052. (b) Gevaert, N. V. BP 623,990, 1949; Chem. Abstr. Synthesis; Trost, B. M., Fleming, I., Eds.; Pergamon Press: Oxford, 1991; 1950, 44, 7681. Vol. 6, p 435. (c) Kota, S.; Ishida, M. Sulfur Rep. 1988, 8 (4), 155. (d) (3) (a) Glaxo Group Ltd. Neth. Pat. 6,408,066, 1965; Chem. Abstr. 1965, Mayer, R.; Scheithauer, S. In Houben-Weyl, 4th ed.; Falbe, J., Ed.; Georg- 63. 614. (b) Neth. Pat. 6,408,067, 1965; Chem. Abstr. 1966, 65, 8928. (c) Thieme-Verlag: Stuttgart, 1985; Vol. E5, Chapter 2.5, p 891. (e) Schei- Christensen, B. G.; Ratcliffe, R. W. Ger. Offen. 2,318,829, 1973; Chem. thauer, S.; Mayer, R. In Thio- and Dithiocarboxylic Acids and Their Abstr. 1974, 80,37128.(d)Christensen,B.G.;Ratcliffe,R.W.Ger. Offen. DeriVatiVes; Senning, A., Ed.; Georg Thieme Publishers: Stuttgart, 1979. 2,365,456, 1975; Chem. Abstr. 1975, 83, 28249. (e) Nase, B. Z. Chem. (7) (a) Pedersen, B. S.; Scheibye, S.; Clausen, K.; Lawesson, S.-O. Bull. 1968, 8, 96. (f) Thorn G. D.; Ludwig R. A. The Dithiocarbamates and Soc. Chim. Belg. 1978, 87, 293. (b) Cava, M. P.; Levinson, M. I. Related Compounds; Elsevier Publ. Co.: Amsterdam; New York, 1962. Tetrahedron, 1985, 41, 5061. (c) Josse, O.; Labar, D.; Brynaert, J. M. (4) (a) Le, T. P. T.; Moad, G.; Rizzardo, E.; Thang, S. H. PCT Int. Appl. Synthesis 1999, 404. WO 9801478 A1 980115, 1998. (b) Chiefary, J.; Chong, Y. K.; Ercole, F.; (8) (a) Amann, A.; Koenig, H.; Thieme; P. C.; Giertz, H.; Kretzschmar, Krstina, J.; Jeffery, J.; Le, T. P. T.; Mayadunne, R.; Meijs, G. F.; Moad, C. R. DOS 2,408,288, 1975; Chem. Abstr. 1975, 83, 193341. (b) Bost, R. W.; L.; Moad, G.; Rizzardo, E.; Thang, S. H. Macromolecules 1998, 31, 5559. Sheally, O. L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1951, 73, 25. (c) Chong, Y. K.; Le, T. P. T.; Moad, G.; Rizzardo, E.; Thang, S. H. (9) Leon, N. H.; Asquith, R. S. Tetrahedron 1970, 26, 1719. Macromolecules 1999, 32, 2071. (10) Thang, S. H.; Chong, Y. K.; Mayadunne, R. T. A.; Moad, G.; (5) Meijer, J.; Vermeer, P.; Brandsma, L. Recueil 1973, 92, 601. Rizzardo, E. Tetrahedron Lett. 1999, 40, 2435. 10.1021/ol006407q CCC: $19.00 © 2000 American Chemical Society Published on Web 09/09/2000 employed in organic synthesis for effecting the conversion of carbonyl to thiocarbonyl compounds under a variety of Scheme 2 conditions such as use of polar solvents or base catalysts.11 We became interested in synthesizing benzyldithio esters as chain transfer agents (CTAs) for living radical polymerization of vinyl monomers. In this communication, we wish to provide an efficient and single-step procedure for the preparation of such substituted dithioesters (2) when car- boxylic acids (1) are reacted either with thiols or alcohols in the presence of 20-40 mol % P4S10 (Scheme 1). Scheme 1 One of the most important features of the methodology is that P4S10 can be used in reduced amounts (20 mol %). By varying the molar proportions of P4S10, it is possible to establish the nature of the intermediate formed in the reaction from GC-MS. For example, when 4-cyanobenzoic acid was To study the scope and limitation of the reaction, various subjected to thiation with benzyl mercaptan in the presence substituted carboxylic acids and thiols were subjected to of 15 mol % P4S10,thecorrespondingthiocarboxylicS-ester treatment with P4S10 in refluxing toluene (Table 2). As was formed in 86% yield. However, further addition of 5 mol % to this reaction mixture completely transformed thioester to dithioester. The conversion was generally faster in toluene and benzene compared to chlorinated and other Table 2. Synthesis of Dithioesters (2) via Mercaptansa solvents. To optimize the reaction parameters, benzoic acid no. carboxylic acid, R1 mercaptan R2 dithioester (%)b and benzyl mercaptan were subjected to treatment with P4S10 1 C6H5 benzyl 96 in toluene at various temperatures (Table 1). The reaction 2 o-MeC6H4 benzyl 82 3 p-MeC6H4 benzyl 91 4 p-Me3CC6H4 benzyl 77 12 Table 1. Reaction of Benzoic Acid and Benzyl Mercaptan 5 p-MeOC6H4 benzyl 91 c a 6 (X)3-C6H2 benzyl 76 with P4S10: Effect of Temperature 7 m-FC6H4 benzyl 85 b product distribution (%) 8 p-FC6H4 benzyl 84 temp time benzoic benzyl dithio 9 p-ClC6H4 benzyl 87 no. (°C) (h) acid mercaptan esterc unknownd 10 p-BrC6H4 benzyl 91 11 p-IC6H4 benzyl 79 1 25 24 19 25 27 48 12 p-CF3C6H4 benzyl 78 2 60 12 - - 27 24 49 13 m-NO2C6H4 benzyl 67 13 3 110 1 - - 16 74 10 14 p-NO2C6H4 benzyl 80 3 110 3 - - - - 99 <1 15 p-CNC6H4 benzyl 75 a 16 C6H5 n-C3H7 81 Benzoic acid, benzyl mercaptan, and P4S10 (each 5 mmol), toluene (30 mL). b Analyzed by GC-MS with capillary column. c (R1 ) Ph, R2 ) Bz). 17 C6H5 n-C4H9 78 d + The fragmented peak in GC-MS corresponds to m/z 105 (PhCO ) as base 18 C6H5 t-C4H9 45 peak with no M+ ion. 19 C6H5 C6H5 55 20 p-FC6H4 o-MeOC6H4 68 21 C6H5 p-ClC6H4 66 proceeded at room temperature to produce considerable yield 22 C6H5 2-thienyl 91 (27%) of dithioester. At 60 °C and 110 °C, benzoic acid 23 2-thiophene benzyl 88 was completely consumed. However, at 110 °C after 3 h, 24 n-C3H7 benzyl 60 both benzoic acid and benzyl mercaptan were quantitatively a Carboxylic acid (5 mmol), mercaptan (5 mmol), and P4S10 (20 mol converted to the corresponding dithioester (99%). The %), toluene (40 mL), 110 °C, 4 h. b Isolated yield after chromatographic unknown in Table 1 may be due to the formation of activated purification over neutral alumina. The purified products (minimum purity 95 % after 1 column pass) were characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR, c carboxylic acid derivative by P4S10 (see species A,inScheme and GC-MS. X ) 3,4,5-(MeO)3. 2). 3214 Org. Lett., Vol. 2, No. 20, 2000 evident from Table 2, the method appears to be quite general B and thiocarboxylic S-ester, C.Suchcondensationreactions as a variety of thiols and carboxylic acids can be employed. with the use of phosphorus reagents are well established in The yields of dithioesters were good to excellent. Remark- the literature.14 It is also possible that both the species A ably, even benzoic acids with electron-withdrawing groups and B are in equilibrium (at different time intervals of the such as CN, NO2, CF3, etc., were efficiently transformed to reaction mixture, appearance and disappearance of thiol can the corresponding dithioesters, which otherwise may be be seen in GC-MS). The formation of the intermediate difficult to obtain by the conventional Grignard reaction. Also thiocarboxylic S-ester, C was confirmed from GC-MS heteroaryl carboxylic acid reacted smoothly to give the analysis and by isolating and characterizing it (IR, 1H, and 13 corresponding dithioester in high yield (entry 23). However, CNMR)when15mol%ofP4S10 was employed. However, substrates such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-acetoxybenzoic further addition of 5 mol % of P4S10 transformed the species acid, and pyridinecarboxylic acid failed to produce the C completely to the corresponding dithioester 2. It is also required dithioesters when subjected to similar treatment with quite likely that B might undergo dehydration to regenerate P4S10 and benzyl mercaptan possibly due to the formation P4S10. In step 2, the intermediate C undergoes thiation of of highly insoluble polymeric materials.