Lewis acid catalysis in the oxidative cycloaddition of thiophenes

Thiophenes 1 were treated with m-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA) under BF3 . Et2O catalysis to afford thiophene S-monoxides. These could be reacted in situ as intermediary species with a number of dienophiles to provide arenes (with alkynes as dienophiles) or 7-thiabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene 7-oxides (with alkenes as dienophiles). It was also possible to isolate thiophene S-monoxides in solution and to cycloadd them in a second step. In either way it could be shown that the use of BF3 . Et2O enhances the yields of the oxidative cycloaddition of thiophenes considerably. Moreover a greater variety of dienophiles (29a, 29b, 29c) could be reacted with thiophenes than in the case of the noncatalyzed reaction. All cycloadditions catalyzed by BF3 . Et2O give only a single diastereoisomer as cycloadduct. The reactions show a high pi-facial selectivity, a fact that can be explained by the Cieplak-effect. Without added dienophiles, 2-methylthiophene (le) gave a single dimer (36) of 2-methylthiophene S-monoxide, whereas 2,5-dimethylthiophene (la) gave three dimers (32a-c). In the case of tetrasubstituted thiophenes, thiophene S-monoxides (e.g., 31b and 31c) could be isolated in substance.