Elimination Reactions of α-Substituted Thymines Derived from Tautomeric Heterocyclic Thiols and Selenols

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00207a015

Tautomeric heterocyclic thiols are readily alkylated by 5-(halomethyl)uracils, giving both S- and N-substituted products.S derivatives such as 19 undergo rapid elimination of thiolate anion in base, whereas the isomeric 6-substituted uracil drivatives such as 3 show no elimination.Kinetic and 13C NMR studies are consistent with an elimination mechanism involving heterocyclic quinone methide intermediate, which can arise from the 5-substituted uracil derivatives but not from the 6-substituted series.The proposed mechanism is further supported by studies of the pH dependency of the elimination reaction and of the effect of substitution in the uracil ring (see Table I and Scheme II).N-Substituted (thione) derivatives such as 36 also undergo base-catalyzed elimination, but a rates some 10⁵ to 10⁶ times slower than those for the corresponding S derivatives when the uracil is unsubstituted on nitrogen.The high sensivity of elimination rate to changes in the leaving group atom is attributed to a transition state in which the connecting methylene group has considerable carbocation character (see Scheme VI).Analogous derivatives (such as 42) of tautomeric heterocyclic selenols have also been prepared, and their elimination kinetics further support this interpretation.