Efficiency of alkoxyl radical product formation from 5-substituted 3-alkoxy-4-methylthiazole-2(3H)-thiones

In a comparative study, reactions between 5-(p-methoxyphenyl)-substituted 3-alkoxy-4-methylthiazole-2(3H)-thiones and appropriate mediators (BrCCl3, Bu3SnH) provided higher yields of alkoxyl radical products (δ-bromohydrins, cyclic ethers, carbonyl compounds) than respective transformations of 5-phenyl- and 5-methyl-substituted derivatives. The unusual selectivity of applied thiohydroxamates to furnish products of O-alkylation, even upon treatment with soft carbon electrophiles, and the marked propensity of 3-alkoxy-5-(p-methoxyphenyl)-4-methylthiazole-2(3H)-thiones to crystallize, facilitated preparation and purification of the new family of alkoxyl radical precursors in a noteworthy manner.