Reactivity of thiosemicarbazides with redox active metal ions: controlled formation of coordination complexes versus heterocyclic compounds.

The reactions of 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylthiosemicarbazide (LH) with Cu(II) and Sn(IV) have been investigated. If THF or methanol is used as solvent with Cu(II), oxidative cyclisation and coupling are observed, yielding a 1,2,4-thiadiazole or a 1,3,4-thiadiazolium salt. SnI(4) is also able to induce oxidative coupling of two thiosemicarbazide ligands, yielding 1,2,4-thiadiazolium or 1,2,4-triazolium salts, with I(3)(-) as the counterion, depending on the reaction conditions. By contrast, reaction of LH with SnI(4) in acetone yields a 1,3-thiazolium salt, with I(-) as counterion. Reaction with Cu(II) salts or SnI(4) in basic media leads to the formation of metal complexes containing two deprotonated thiosemicarbazide ligands. In the reaction of CuCl(2) in water in the presence of acid a complex containing two neutral ligands is obtained. Reactions with SnCl(4) are not able to induce ligand cyclisation, although a coordination compound with two neutral ligands was isolated from methanol.