Tautomerism of bis(2-benzothiazolyl)methanes

Abstract

Tautomerism of dibenzothiazolylmethane (1) and its C-methyl derivative (2) has been studied by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet, and infrared spectroscopy using C,C-dimethyl (3) and N-methyl (4) derivatives as model compounds of the "CH" and "NH" forms, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis of the "fixed" N-methyl derivative 4 shows that it corresponds to the Z-sE isomer 4b2. The CH tautomers are unstable in solution and they slowly isomerize into a mixture of NH tautomers that depends on the solvent and on the C-substituent (H or CH3).