Synthesis and Characterization of Thiophene 1-Oxides Kinetically Stabilized by Bulky Substituents at the 3- and 4-Positions

Abstract
Oxidation of 3,4-di-t-butyl- and 3,4-di-1-adamantyl-, and 2,4-di-t-butylthiophenes with an equimolar amount of m-chloroperbenzoic acid in the presence of BF3•Et2O gave the corresponding thiophene 1-oxides in good yields, which are stable enough to be isolated in pure crystalline form. An X-ray single crystal structure analysis led to the conclusion that thiophene 1-oxides would not be aromatic.