Mesoionic azolopyridines of the general formula I are related to the family of condensed munchnones [1].Although the chemistry of b-fused oxazolones la [2] and imidazopyridine derivatives Ib [3] is well reviewed, no data are reported yet about the synthesis of the mesoionic thiazolopyridines Ic-e. In the first part of this review we discuss novel strategy to the synthesis of condensed thiazoles Ic-e and describe structural features of munchnones la and Ic for which we report X-ray data for the first time. In the second part we introduce the concept of recyclization tandems: Mesoionic system la may be easily transformed to highly reactive oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridinium cation which, in turn, undergoes variety of ring opening/transformation reactions leading to novel classes and subclasses of heterocyclic compounds.
Synthesis of Novel b-Fused Munchnones.Krohnke first attempted to prepare mesoionic thiazoles Ic by cycloaddition of carbon disulfide to pyridinium and isoquinolinium ylides [4]. Although in the case of isoquinolines IIa the desired mesoionic product IIIa was obtained, the reaction of pyridinium salt IIb led only to the stabilized compound IIlb and not to the parent munchnone.This result can be clearly explained in terms of higher electron deficiency of the isoquinolinium than that of the pyridinium ring. The presence of a leaving group at a-position of the initial pyridinium salt would favor cyclization. We found that 2-chloropyridinium salts IVa,b in reaction with carbon disulfide at room temperature form the desired mesoionic thiazolopyridines Va,b [5]. Structure of the compound Va was confirmed by X-ray analysis.Analogous reaction between carbon oxosulfide and the salt IVa led to another mesoionic system VI; the yield, however, was low (<10%), and we performed a multistep synthesis of compound VI starting from the available 2-bromopyridinium salt VII [6].