Attempts to Synthesize a Thiirane, Selenirane, and Thiirene by Dealkylation of Chalcogeniranium and Thiirenium Salts

Thiiranium salts [Ad(2)SR](+)X(−) (5, 8, 9, 11, 12; X(−)=Tf(2)N(−) (Tf=CF(3)SO(2)), SbCl(6) (−)) and seleniranium salts [Ad(2)SeR](+)X(−) (14, 16, 17, 23–25; X(−)=Tf(2)N(−), BF(4) (−), CHB(11)Cl(11) (−), SbCl(6) (−)) are synthesized from strained alkene bis(adamantylidene) (1). The disulfides and the diselenides (Me(3)SiCH(2)CH(2)E)(2) (4, 13), (tBuMe(2)SiCH(2)CH(2)E)(2) (7, 22), and (NCCH(2)CH(2)E)(2) (10, 15; E=S, Se) have been used. The thiirenium salts [tBu(2)C(2)SR](+)X(−) (34) and [Ad(2)C(2)SR](+)X(−) (35, 36) are prepared from the bis‐tert‐butylacetylene (2) and bis‐adamantyl‐acetylene (3) with R=Me(3)SiCH(2)CH(2) and tBuMe(2)SiCH(2)CH(2). Attempts to cleave off the groups Me(3)SiCH(2)CH(2), tBuMe(2)SiCH(2)CH(2), and NCCH(2)CH(2) resulted in thiiranes 27, 30. No selenirane Ad(2)Se (33) is formed from seleniranium salts, instead cleavage to the alkene (1) and diselenide (13, 15) occurs. The thiirenium salt [Ad(2)C(2)SCH(2)CH(2)SiMe(3)](+)Tf(2)N(−) (35) does not yield the thiirene Ad(2)C(2)S (37), the three‐membered ring is cleaved, forming the alkyne (3) and disulfide (4). All compounds are characterized by ESI mass spectra, NMR spectra, and by quantum chemical calculations. Crystal structures of the salts 8, 12, 25, 17, 26, 36 and the thiiranes 27, 30 are presented.