Bromonitromethane, a versatile electrophile: reactions with thiolates

Abstract

Thiolate ions react with bromonitromethane to give nitronate ion and, initially, sulphenyl bromide which reacts with further thiolate ion to give disulphide; when the disulphide bears an appropriately placed nitrile function, intramolecular attack by the nitronate ion at this function and subsequent intramolecular displacement of thiolate ion yields aminothiophenes.