Novel Reactions Initiated by Titanocene Methylidenes: Deoxygenation of Sulfoxides,N-Oxides, and Selenoxides

Deoxygenation of sulfoxides and selenoxides and generation of 2-methylpyridines from the corresponding N-oxides are possible with a newly discovered titanocene methylidene mediated process (see schemes). The mild conditions required, as well as the wide range of functional groups which have been successfully incorporated, expands the use of sulfoxides as protecting groups and auxiliaries for complex synthetic substrates. Cp=cyclopentadienyl.