Reactions of α-mercaptocarboxylic acid hydrazides with triethyl orthoesters: synthesis of 1,3,4-thiadiazin-5(6H)-ones and 1,3,4-oxadiazoles

Reactions of α-mercapto-β-phenylpropionic and α-mercaptophenylacetic acid hydrazides with triethyl orthoesters were conducted under N2 in glacial acetic acid and resulted in the formation of two groups of products, derivatives of 1,3,4-thiadiazin-5(6H)-ones and 2-(1-mercaptomethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles. When conducting the same transformations on α-mercaptophenylacetic acid hydrazide in the presence of air, two different products from the 1,3,4-oxadiazole family, the appropriate bis(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl-phenylmethyl) disulfides and 2-benzyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles, were formed with the liberation of free sulfur. The oxygenated bis(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl-phenylmethyl) disulfides were reduced to the corresponding 2-(1-mercaptomethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles with the use of zinc powder under mild conditions.