Synthesis of Thienothiopyranthiones by a New Molecular Rearrangement

On heating with alkynes, the readily prepared 1,3-dithioles 3 undergo a new cycloaddition reaction and an unprecedented molecular rearrangement with loss of chlorine to give the first 7H-thieno[2,3-c]thiopyran-7-thiones 4 and 4H-thieno[3,2-c]thiopyran-4-thiones 5 whose structures were confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Unexpectedly, the different alkynes used to form 3 and to convert it into 4 and 5 were incorporated regiospecifically into the thiophene and thiopyran rings, respectively. [reaction: see text]