Synthesis of 2‘-Substituted 4-Bromo-2,4‘-bithiazoles by Regioselective Cross-Coupling Reactions

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The synthesis of the title compounds (1) was achieved in two steps starting from readily available 2,4-dibromothiazole (2). In a regioselective Pd(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling step, compound 2 was converted into a variety of 2-substituted 4-bromothiazoles 3 (10 examples, 65-85% yield). Alkyl and aryl zinc halides were employed as nucleophiles to introduce an alkyl or aryl substituent. The Sonogashira protocol was followed to achieve an alkynyl-debromination. Bromo-lithium exchange at carbon atom C-4 and subsequent transmetalation to zinc or tin converted the 4-bromothiazoles 3 into carbon nucleophiles which underwent a second regioselective cross-coupling with another equivalent of 2,4-dibromothiazole (2). The Negishi cross-coupling gave high yields of the 2'-alkyl-4-bromo-2,4'-bithiazoles 1a-g (88-97%). The synthesis of the 2'-phenyl- and 2'-alkynyl-4-bromo-2,4'-bithiazoles 1h-j required a Stille cross-coupling that did not proceed as smoothly as the Negishi cross-coupling (58-62% yield). The title compounds which were accessible in total yields of 38-82% are versatile building blocks for the synthesis of 2,4'-bithiazoles.