THE SYNTHESIS OF SOME THIOPHENOPHANES AND ATTEMPTED CYCLIZATIONS TO POLYCYCLIC THIOPHENIUM SALTS

5,10-Diphenylcyclotrideca-2,4,10,12-tetraene-6,8-diyn-1-one (28), 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrodibenzo-[a,g]cyclotridecen-15-one (21), and 13,14,16,17-tetrahydro-5,6,7,8-tetradehydrodibenzo[a,g]-cyclotridecen-15-one (40) were synthesized. All attempts to add hydrogen sulphide across the triple bonds of these compounds to give thiophenes failed. 13,14,16,17-Tetrahydro-5,8- epithiodibenzo[a,g]cyclotridecen-15-one (43), from which hydrogen sulphide was removed by DDQ or chloroanil to give the ketone (40), was synthesized via the copper(II) acetate oxidation of 1,5-bis(2-ethynylphenyl)pentan-3-one (36). This ketone was obtained from 2-iodobenzaldehyde which on successive treatment with acetone, and ethynyltrimethylsilane yielded 1,5-bis(2- trimethylsilylethynylphenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one (18). Tributyltin hydride reduced the vinyl double bonds only in this ketone, and subsequent hydrolysis gave the ketone (36). Reduction of the cyclic ketone (40) with sodium borohydride gave the alcohol (41), sodium sulphide converted the diyne grouping into a thiophene ring giving the thiophene alcohol (42), and chromic acid now yielded the ketone (43). Attempts to convert this alcohol (42) and ketone (43) into pentacyclic sulphonium salts or related compounds resulted in elimination of oxygen and the formation of olefins.