A facile synthesis of unsymmetrical heterocyclic azines by cyclodesulfurization: Reaction of methyl arylalkylidenehydrazinecarbodithioates with diamines

A new and facile synthesis of unsymmetrical heterocyclic azines is described. Methyl arylalkylidenehydraz-inecarbodithioates, prepared by the condensation of ketones or aldehydes with methyl hydrazinecarbodithioate, were heated under reflux with various diamines in ethanol. Secondary diamines, such as N,N′-dimethyl-ethylenediamine, N,N′-dimethyl-1,3-diaminopropane or N,N′-dimethyl-o-phenylenediamine, reacted smoothly with loss of hydrogen sulfide to give good yields of unsymmetrical azines. However, primary diamines, such as ethylenediamine or o-phenylenediamine, and primary/secondary diamines, such as N-methylethyl-enediamine and N-methyl-1,3-diaminopropane gave, instead, only the corresponding uncyclized thiosemi-carbazones. A cyclodesulfurization mechanism for azine formation is discussed.