Studies in alkylation of 3-methyl-3-sulfolene and thermolysis of resulting 2-alkyl-3-sulfolenes: Convenient synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted-1,3-dienes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)89010-4

Various 1,2-disubstituted-1,3-dienes have been synthesised through the alkylation of 3-methyl-3-sulfolene (1) followed by thermolysis of the resulting 2-alkyl-3-methyl-3-sulfolene (3,7). The alkylations with bulky iodides, particularly, containing ethylene ketal or phenyl sulfide moiety yield considerable amounts of rearranged 2-alkyl-3-methyl-2-sulfolene (4). The sulfolenes 3, 4 and 7 have been desulfonylated under mild conditions to yield corresponding 1,3-dienes.