Thianickelacycles by Ring‐Opening Reactions of Cyclic Thioethers and Their Subsequent Carbonylation to Thioesters

Abstract

A functional model for the nickel-containing CO-dehydrogenase? Oxidative addition reactions of ethylene sulfide, propylene sulfide, and thietane with nickel complexes like 1 yield thianickelacycles. Formally analogous to the biosynthesis of acetyl coenzyme A, 2 undergoes an insertion reaction with CO followed by reductive elimination of the thiobutyrolactone 3.