Synthesis, properties, oxidation, and electrochemistry of 1,2- dichalcogenins

Syntheses are presented of the 1,2-dichalcogenins: 1,2-dithiin, 1,2- diselenin, and 2-selenathiin, both substituted and unsubstituted. 1,2-Dithiin and 1,2-diselenin are prepared by reaction of PhCH₂XNa (X = S or Se) with 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,3-butadiyne followed by reductive cleavage and oxidation. 2-Selenathiin is similarly prepared using a mixture of PhCH₂SeNa and PhCH₂SNa. Reaction of titanacyclopentadienes with (SCN)₂ or (SeCN)₂ followed by bis(thiocyanate) or bis(selenocyanate) cyclization affords substituted 1,2-dithiins or 1,2-diselenins, respectively. With S₂Cl₂, 1,2- dithiins are directly formed from titanacyclopentadienes. Oxidation of 1,2- dithiins and 1,2-diselenins gives the corresponding 1-oxide and, with 1,2- dithiins and excess oxidant, 1,1-dioxides; oxidation of 2-selenathiin gives the 2-oxide. Electrochemical oxidation of 1,2-dichalcogenins, which have a twisted geometry, affords planar radical cations by an EC mechanism. One- electron AlCl₃ oxidation of 3,6-diphenyl-1,2-dithiin gives the corresponding radical cation, characterized by EPR spectroscopy. Theoretical calculations result in a flattened structure for the 1,2-dithiin radical cation and a fully planar structure for the 1,2-diselenin radical cation. The ⁷⁷Se NMR chemical shifts of 1,2-diselenin are characteristically high-field-shifted with respect to open chain diselenides in good agreement with results of GIAO-DFT calculations based on MP2 and DFT optimum geometries.