From Thioureas to Thioquinolines through Isolated Benzothiazines by Gold Catalysis

Abstract

New benzothiazine heterocycles have been formed from thiourea derivatives by using different gold catalysts. The catalyst and the conditions were optimised towards the selective synthesis of six-membered benzothiazine heterocycles, characterised by X-ray diffraction. Interestingly, these organic compounds evolved under gold catalysis in basic medium to achieve the formation of amino thioquinolines through an unprecedented aromatisation process of the heterocycle. The reaction was also carried out stoichiometrically by reaction with gold complexes to afford thioquinolines coordinated to the gold fragment. Benzothiazine, amino thioquinoline heterocycles and gold-derived species have a great potential for biological applications.

Keywords: benzothiazine; catalysis; gold; thioquinoline; thiourea.