Photochemistry of phenyl-substituted 1,2,4-thiadiazoles. 15N-labeling studies

Irradiation of 5-phenyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole (6) resulted in the formation of benzonitrile (5), 3-phenyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole (4), phenyl- and diphenyl-1,3,5-triazines (7 and 8), and a trace quantity of diphenyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole (9). The formation of 4,5, 7, and 8 can be explained in terms of photoinduced electrocyclic ring closure resulting in the formation of an intermediate 4-phenyl-1,3-diaza-5-thiabicyclo[2.1.0]pentene. 15N-labeling experiments revealed that sulfur can undergo sigmatropic shifts around all four sides of the diazetine ring. Thus, irradiation of 6-4-15N led to the formation of 6-2-15N and an equimolar mixture of 4-2-15N and 4-4-15N. The thiabicyclo[2.1.0]pentene intermediate is also suggested to undergo sulfur elimination resulting in the formation of phenyldiazacyclobutadiene, which can undergo complete fragmentation to benzonitrile or [4+2] cycloaddition leading to unstable tricyclic adducts, the suggested precursors of the 1,3,5-triazine products 7 and 8. The observed 15N distribution in 7 and 8 is consistent with this mechanism. Irradiation of 4 led only to the formation of 5. 15N-labeling experiments show that 4 does not undergo electrocyclic ring closure but reacts exclusively by photofragmentation of the thiadiazole ring.