Benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) and Its Bromo Derivatives: Molecular Structure and Reactivity.

Benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) (isoBBT) is a new electron-withdrawing building block that can be used to obtain potentially interesting compounds for the synthesis of OLEDs and organic solar cells components. The electronic structure and delocalization in benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole), 4-bromobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole), and 4,8-dibromobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) were studied using X-ray diffraction analysis and ab initio calculations by EDDB and GIMIC methods and were compared to the corresponding properties of benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c']bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (BBT). Calculations at a high level of theory showed that the electron affinity, which determines electron deficiency, of isoBBT was significantly smaller than that of BBT (1.09 vs. 1.90 eV). Incorporation of bromine atoms improves the electrical deficiency of bromobenzo-bis-thiadiazoles nearly without affecting aromaticity, which increases the reactivity of these compounds in aromatic nucleophilic substitution reactions and, on the other hand, does not reduce the ability to undergo cross-coupling reactions. 4-Bromobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) is an attractive object for the synthesis of monosubstituted isoBBT compounds. The goal to find conditions for the selective substitution of hydrogen or bromine atoms at position 4 in order to obtain compounds containing a (het)aryl group in this position and to use the remaining unsubstituted hydrogen or bromine atoms to obtain unsymmetrically substituted isoBBT derivatives, potentially interesting compounds for organic photovoltaic components, was not set before. Nucleophilic aromatic and cross-coupling reactions, along with palladium-catalyzed C-H direct arylation reactions for 4-bromobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole), were studied and selective conditions for the synthesis of monoarylated derivatives were found. The observed features of the structure and reactivity of isoBBT derivatives may be useful for building organic semiconductor-based devices.

Palladium-Catalyzed Direct (Het)arylation Reactions of Benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole and 4,8-Dibromobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole).

Palladium-catalyzed direct (het)arylation reactions of strongly electron-withdrawing tricyclic benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) and its 4,8-dibromo derivative were studied; the conditions for the selective formation of mono- and bis-aryl derivatives were found. The reaction of 4,8-dibromobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) with thiophenes in the presence of palladium acetate as a catalyst and potassium pivalate as a base, depending on the conditions used, selectively gave both mono- and bis-thienylated benzo-bis-thiadiazoles in low to moderate yields; arenes were found to be inactive in these reactions. It was discovered that direct C-H arylation of benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole with bromo(iodo)arenes and -thiophenes in the presence of Pd(OAc)2 and di-tert-butyl(methyl)phosphonium tetrafluoroborate salt is a powerful tool for the selective formation of 4-mono- and 4,8-di(het)arylated benzo-bis-thiadiazoles. Oxidative double C-H hetarylation of benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole with thiophenes in the presence of Pd(OAc)2 and silver (I) oxide in DMSO was successfully employed to prepare bis-thienylbenzo-bis-thiadiazoles in moderate yields.

Efficient Synthesis of 4,8-Dibromo Derivative of Strong Electron-Deficient Benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) and Its SNAr and Cross-Coupling Reactions.

An efficient synthesis of hydrolytically and thermally stable 4,8-dibromobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) by the bromination of its parent heterocycle is reported. The structure of 4,8-dibromobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole) was confirmed by X-ray analysis. The conditions for the selective aromatic nucleophilic substitution of one bromine atom in this heterocyclic system by nitrogen nucleophiles are found, whereas thiols formed the bis-derivatives only. Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions were found to be an effective method for the selective formation of various mono- and di(het)arylated derivatives of strong electron-deficient benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bis([1,2,3]thiadiazole), and Stille coupling can be employed for the preparation of bis-arylated heterocycles, which can be considered as useful building blocks for the synthesis of DSSCs and OLEDs components.