10.1080/00397919308011121
The study presents a practical and convenient two-step synthesis of the title compound, 4,6-dichloro-5-benzylthiopyrimidine (3), starting from 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine (1). The initial three-step approach involved converting 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine (1) to 4,6-dihydroxy-5-bromopyrimidine (4) with an 80% yield. Then, compound (4) was reacted with benzylmercaptan and anhydrous potassium carbonate in N,N-dimethylformamide, yielding 4,6-dihydroxy-5-benzylthiopyrimidine (2) with a variable yield, the best being 50%. Finally, compound (2) was converted to the title compound (3) by heating in phosphorus oxychloride, resulting in a 75% yield. An improved method was developed using sulfenyl chloride chemistry, where benzyl sulfenyl chloride was prepared from dibenzyl disulfide and sulfuryl chloride, and reacted with 4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine (1) in N,N-dimethylformamide to obtain compound (2) in quantitative yield. The title compound (3) was then synthesized from compound (2) using phosphorus oxychloride, achieving an overall yield of approximately 72%. The study provides a more efficient and reliable synthesis route for 4,6-dichloro-5-benzylthiopyrimidine, which is a key precursor in the synthesis of various types of 4,6-di-substituted pyrimidine-5-sulfonamides with interesting biological activities.