Synthesis of new amidino-substituted 2-aminothiophenoles: mild basic ring opening of benzothiazole

The efficient synthesis of new amidino, N-isopropylamidino, 2-imidazolinyl substituted benzothiazoles and 2-aminothiophenoles by the Pinner reaction is described. The novel ring opening of benzothiazole with ammonia and ethylenediamine was found, and a plausible reaction mechanism proposed. The ring opening with ethylenediamine is selective and applicable to compounds bearing hydrolytically and amonolytically unstable substituents. Different amidino-substituted 2-aminothiophenoles were isolated in zwitterionic and disulfide form and their structures were determined by X-ray crystal structure analysis.