A convenient one-pot synthesis of thiazol-2-imines: application in the construction of pitithrin analogues

For the first time a reaction intermediate has been isolated giving further insight into the mechanism of thiazol-2-imine formation. The first step of the reaction requires a basic medium, while the second step is an acid mediated El elimination reaction. An efficient one-pot synthesis of substituted thiazol-2-imines have been achieved by the condensation of carbonyl compounds with thioureas and 1,3-disubstituted thioureas using 1,1'-(ethane- 1,2-diyl)dipyridinium bistribromide (EDPBT). Unsymmetrical 1,3-disubstituted thioureas give regioselective products with symmetrical ketones, which are mainly governed by the pK(a)s of NH protons of thiourea, whereas symmetrical 1,3-disubstituted thioureas give regioselective products with symmetrical carbonyl compounds owing to the regioselective bromination of ketones. The methodology is extended to access novel neurodegenerative drug candidate pifithrin-alpha analogues in good yields in shorter reaction time. This method is simple, versatile and is applicable for different 1,3-disubstituted thioureas as well as a range of carbonyl compounds. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.