Arylmercapturic Acids by S-Arylation of N,NЈ-Diacetylcystine
in DMF (2.5 mL) was heated in an oil bath at 100 °C under argon
for 3 h. DMF was then distilled off in a vacuum, methanol was
added to the residue and the resulting suspension was filtered
through a paper filter. After evaporation of the solvent in a vac-
uum, column chromatography on silica gel using CHCl3/MeOH
(40:1) or CHCl3/EtOAc (3:1) as eluent afforded the corresponding
N-acetyl-S-arylcysteinates 4a–m. A further purification step by col-
umn chromatography on silica gel was needed in several cases to
obtain pure samples. As most of the mercapturic acid esters ob-
tained were oils the sample homogeneity was checked by 1H and
13C NMR spectroscopy rather than by elemental analysis.
Ar-H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ = 22.8 (CH3CO), 36.2 (CH2),
52.3 and 52.4 (CH and CH3O), 115.0 (=CH2), 124.9, 128.4, 129.1,
130.0 (Ar C-H), 135.0 (Ar C-S), 135.9 (=CH), 138.4 (Ar C-C),
169.8 (COOCH3), 170.7 (CH3CO) ppm. HRMS (EI): calcd. for
C14H17NO3S 279.0929; found 279.0928.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(4-vinylphenyl)cysteinate (4f): Yellowish liquid
(31 mg, 56%); Rf = 0.35. 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ = 1.81 (s, 3 H,
CH3CO), 3.28 (dd, J = 4.5, 14.3 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.41 (dd, J =
4.5, 14.3 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.51 (s, 3 H, COOCH3), 4.80 (m, 1 H,
CHCOOCH3), 5.18 (d, J = 10.9 Hz, 1 H, =CH2), 5.66 (d, J =
17.6 Hz, 1 H, =CH2), 6.17 (d, J = 5.9 Hz, 1 H, NH), 6.59 (dd, J =
10.9, 17.6 Hz, 1 H, CH=CH2), 7.26 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 2 H, Ar-H),
7.29 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 2 H, Ar-H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ = 22.9
(CH3CO), 36.5 (CH2), 52.4 and 52.5 (CH and CH3O), 114.4
(=CH2), 126.8, 131.0 (Ar C-H), 134.0 (Ar C-S), 135.9 (=CH), 136.5
(Ar C-C), 169.7 (COOCH3), 170.7 (CH3CO) ppm. HRMS (EI):
calcd. for C14H17NO3S 279.0929; found 279.0937.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-phenylcysteinate (4a): A mixture of N-acetylcys-
teine methyl ester (1; 76 mg, 0.4 mmol), phenylboronic acid (3a;
107 mg, 0.88 mmol), copper(II) acetate (110 mg, 0.6 mmol) and
pyridine (95 mg; 1.2 mmol) in DMF (2.5 mL) was heated with an
oil bath at 100 °C under argon for 3 h. DMF was then distilled
off in vacuum, the residue was suspended in methanol and filtered
through a paper filter. Evaporation of the solvent in vacuum fol-
lowed by column chromatography on silica gel with CHCl3/EtOAc
(20:1) as eluent yielded 67 mg (63%) of a yellowish liquid. Com-
pound 4a (48.5 mg, 96%) was obtained by arylation of 1 or 2 with
3a as described in the general procedure and identified by compar-
ing its NMR spectra with published data.[12] Compound 4a (48.5 g,
96%) was also obtained from 2 as described in the general pro-
cedure.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(4-methoxyphenyl)cysteinate (4g): Yellowish li-
quid (27 mg, 48%); Rf = 0.28. 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ = 1.84 (s, 3 H,
CH3CO), 3.17 (dd, J = 4.9, 14.2 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.27 (dd, J = 4.9,
14.2 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.49 (s, 3 H, COOCH3), 3.71 (s, 3 H, CH3-O-
Ar), 4.74 (m, 1 H, CHCOOCH3), 6.22 (d, J = 6.7 Hz, 1 H, NH),
6.77 (d, J = 8.9 Hz, 2 H, Ar-H), 7.31 (d, J = 8.9 Hz, 2 H, Ar-
H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ = 22.9 (CH3CO), 38.0 (CH2), 52.2
and 52.4 (CH and CH3O), 55.3 (CH3-O-Ar), 114.6 (Ar C-H), 124.7
(Ar C-S), 134.3 (Ar C-H), 159.4 (Ar C-O), 169.7 (COOCH3), 170.8
(CH3CO) ppm. HRMS (EI): calcd. for C13H17NO4S 283.0878;
found 283.0867.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(2-tolyl)cysteinate (4b): Yellowish liquid (26 mg,
48%); Rf = 0.31. 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ = 1.90 (s, 3 H, CH3CO),
2.41 (s, 3 H, CH3-Ar), 3.32 (dd, J = 4.7, 14.0 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.44
(dd, J = 4.7, 14.0 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.57 (s, 3 H, COOCH3), 4.85 (m,
1 H, CHCOOCH3), 6.36 (d, J = 6.7 Hz, 1 H, NH), 7.16 (m, 3 H,
Ar-H), 7.39 (m, 1 H, Ar-H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ = 20.5
(CH3-Ar), 22.8 (CH3CO), 35.7 (CH2), 52.3 and 52.4 (CH and
CH3O), 126.5, 127.1, 130.4, 130.9 (Ar C-H), 133.6 (Ar C-C), 139.1
(Ar C-S), 169.8 (COOCH3), 170.7 (CH3CO) ppm. HRMS (EI):
calcd. for C13H17NO3S 267.0929; found 267.0938.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(3-chlorophenyl)cysteinate (4h): Colorless liquid
1
(30 mg, 52%); Rf = 0.50. H NMR (CDCl3, 25 °C): δ = 1.92 (s, 3
H, CH3CO), 3.37 (dd, J = 4.4, 14.1 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.51 (dd, J =
4.4, 14.1 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.62 (s, 3 H, COOCH3), 4.88 (m, 1 H,
CHCOOCH3), 6.22 (br. s, 1 H, NH), 7.16–7.29 (m, 3 H, Ar-H),
7.37 (s, 1 H, Ar-H) ppm. 13C NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3, 25 °C): δ =
23.2 (CH3CO), 36.3 (CH2), 52.5 and 52.9 (CH and CH3O), 127.3,
128.7, 130.2, 130.3 (Ar C-H), 134.9 and 137.2 (Ar C-S and Ar C-
Cl), 170.0 (COOCH3), 170.8 (CH3CO) ppm. HRMS (EI): calcd.
for C12H14ClNO3S 287.0383; found 287.0374.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(3-tolyl)cysteinate (4c): Yellowish liquid (28 mg,
53%); Rf = 0.30. 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ = 1.81 (s, 3 H, CH3CO),
2.25 (s, 3 H, CH3-Ar), 3.28 (dd, J = 4.5, 14.2 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.40
(dd, J = 4.5, 14.2 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.51 (s, 3 H, COOCH3), 4.80 (m,
1 H, CHCOOCH3), 6.16 (d, J = 6.0 Hz, 1 H, NH), 6.96 (m, 1 H,
Ar-H), 7.13 (m, 3 H, Ar-H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ = 21.2
(CH3-Ar), 22.9 (CH3CO), 36.6 (CH2), 52.4 and 52.4 (CH and
CH3O), 127.9, 127.9, 128.9, 131.5 (Ar C-H), 134.4 (Ar C-C), 138.9
(Ar C-S), 169.7 (COOCH3), 170.7 (CH3CO) ppm. HRMS (EI):
calcd. for C13H17NO3S 267.0929; found 267.0940.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(4-chlorophenyl)cysteinate (4i): White solid
1
(36 mg, 63%); Rf = 0.49. H NMR (CDCl3, 25 °C): δ = 1.91 (s, 3
H, CH3CO), 3.32 (dd, J = 4.4, 14.4 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.47 (dd, J =
4.4, 14.4 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.59 (s, 3 H, COOCH3), 4.85 (m, 1 H,
CHCOOCH3), 6.22 (br. s, 1 H, NH), 7.24 (d, J = 8.8 Hz, 2 H Ar-
H), 7.35 (d, J = 8.8 Hz, 2 H, Ar-H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3,
25 °C): δ = 23.2 (CH3CO), 36.9 (CH2), 52.5 and 52.8 (CH and
CH3O), 129.4 (Ar C-H), 132.5 (Ar C-H), 133.4 and 133.5 (Ar C-S
and Ar C-Cl), 170.0 (COOCH3), 170.9 (CH3CO) ppm. HRMS
(EI): calcd. for C12H14ClNO3S 287.0383; found 287.0372.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(4-tolyl)cysteinate (4d): Yellowish liquid (27 mg,
50%); Rf = 0.33. 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ = 1.89 (s, 3 H, CH3CO),
2.30 (s, 3 H, CH3-Ar), 3.30 (dd, J = 4.7, 14.2 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.41
(dd, J = 4.7, 14.2 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.56 (s, 3 H, COOCH3), 4.83 (m,
1 H, CHCOOCH3), 6.40 (d, J = 7.0 Hz, 1 H, NH), 7.10 (d, J =
8.0 Hz, 2 H Ar-H), 7.31 (d, J = 8.0 Hz, 2 H, Ar-H) ppm. 13C NMR
(CDCl3): δ = 21.0 (CH3-Ar), 22.8 (CH3CO), 37.0 (CH2), 52.4 and
52.4 (CH and CH3O), 129.9 (Ar C-H), 130.9 (Ar C-C), 131.6 (Ar
C-H), 137.4 (Ar C-S), 170.0 (COOCH3), 170.8 (CH3CO) ppm.
HRMS (EI): calcd. for C13H17NO3S 267.0929; found 267.0928.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(4-cyanophenyl)cysteinate (4j): White solid
(20 mg, 36%); Rf = 0.29 (CHCl3/EtOAc, 3:1). 1H NMR (CDCl3,
25 °C): δ = 1.93 (s, 3 H, CH3CO), 3.42 (dd, J = 4.7, 14.1 Hz, 1 H,
CH2), 3.59 (dd, J = 5.0, 14.1 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.68 (s, 3 H, CO-
OCH3), 4.88 (m, 1 H, CHCOOCH3), 6.40 (br. d, J = 6.4 Hz, 1 H,
NH), 7.4 (d, J = 8.2 Hz, 2 H Ar-H), 7.55 (d, J = 8.2 Hz, 2 H, Ar-
H) ppm. 13C NMR (CDCl3): δ = 23.2 (CH3CO), 34.7 (CH2S), 52.3
(CH3O), 53.1 (CHCH2), 118.7 (CN), 128.6, 132.6 (Ar C-H), 142.9
(Ar C-S), 109.6 (Ar C-CN), 170.1, 170.7 (CO) ppm. HRMS (EI):
calcd. for C13H14N2O3S 278.0725; found 278.0729.
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(3-vinylphenyl)cysteinate (4e): Yellowish liquid
(31 mg, 56%); Rf = 0.33. 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ = 1.81 (s, 3 H,
CH3CO), 3.30 (dd, J = 4.5, 14.3 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.41 (dd, J =
4.5, 14.3 Hz, 1 H, CH2), 3.50 (s, 3 H, COOCH3), 4.81 (m, 1 H,
CHCOOCH3), 5.22 (d, J = 10.9 Hz, 1 H, =CH2), 5.70 (d, J =
Methyl N-Acetyl-S-(2-methoxycarbonylphenyl)cysteinate (4k):
1
17.6 Hz, 1 H, =CH2), 6.25 (d, J = 6.5 Hz, 1 H, NH), 6.59 (dd, J = White solid (15 mg, 24%); Rf = 0.45. H NMR (CDCl3, 25 °C): δ
10.9, 17.6 Hz, 1 H, CH=CH2), 7.21 (m, 3 H, Ar-H), 7.37 (s, 1 H,
= 1.91 (s, 3 H, CH3CO), 3.40 (dd, J = 5.0, 13.8 Hz, 1 H, CH2),
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2009, 6336–6340
© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
www.eurjoc.org
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