Chlorocyclization of Alkenoic Thioester

This study introduces a novel method for ring-closing chlorosulfenylation of alkenoic thioesters using N-chlorosuccinimide in hexafluoroisopropanol under mild conditions. This reaction efficiently forms five-membered cyclic sulfur compounds with high selectivity, representing a significant advancement in the synthesis of chlorinated S-heterocycles. Computational analysis using density functional theory demonstrates the superiority of thioester nucleophiles over traditional benzyl sulfides in this reaction, highlighting the energetic preference for thioesters.