Two Novel 1,2,4,5-Tetrazines that Participate in Inverse Electron Demand Diels−Alder Reactions with an Unexpected Regioselectivity

Two new unsymmetrical 1,2,4,5-tetrazines, 3-methylsulfinyl-6-methylthio-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (4) and
3-(benzyloxycarbonyl)amino-6-methylsulfinyl-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (5), were prepared, and the scope of their
participation in intermolecular inverse electron demand Diels−Alder reactions was defined. As anticipated,
sulfoxides 4 and 5 (4 > 5) display a reactivity that is substantially greater than that of their corresponding
sulfides (2 and 3), being derived from their enhanced electron-deficient character and resulting in a wider
range of potential dienophile choices or the use of milder reaction conditions. The cycloaddition reactions
were expectedly regioselective, typically producing a single cycloadduct, ensuring their synthetic utility,
but both were found to proceed with a regioselectivity opposite what would be anticipated and
complementary to that observed with 2 and 3.