The synthesis of novel acetal thia-cage compounds has been accomplished by the direct substitutionfor the oxygen atom by the sulfur atom in the reaction of the acetal groups of oxa-cages withLawesson reagent (LR). Reaction of the tetraoxa-cage compound
2 with LR in dichloromethane at25
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C sequentially gave the monothia-, dithia-, trithia-, and tetrathia-cage compounds
3,
6,
7, and
9. The reaction mechanism for the conversion from oxa-cages into thia-cages was proposed. Thediacetal trioxa-cages
18-20 and
24-26 were also transformed into the thia-cages
21-23 and
27-29, respectively. Reaction of the trioxa-cages
34 and
35 with LR under the same reaction conditionsgave the thia-cages
36 and
37 with the carbonyl group intact. Treatment of the pentaoxa[5]peristylane
40 with LR in chloroform under supersonic shaking at refluxing temperature gave themonothia[5]peristylane
41 and the dithia[5]peristylane
42. Attempts to synthesize the thia[5]peristylanes from the tetraoxa-cage
51 and the transformation from the parent (unsubstituted)pentaoxa[5]peristylane
46 to the thia-cages have been made. Reaction of the pentaoxa[5]-peristylane
40 with P
2S
5 in refluxing toluene gave
41,
42, and a rearrangement product
47. The synthesis ofnew heterocyclic cage compounds
59 and
60, which contain oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur atoms inthe same molecule, was also accomplished.