A novel reaction between benzothiazoles and diaroylacetylenes in the presence of Meldrum’s acid: ring expansion of benzothiazoles to functionalized 1,4-benzothiazines

A novel and efficient ring expansion of benzothiazoles to functionalized 1,4-benzothiazines is described. The reactive 1:1 zwitterionic intermediates formed by addition of benzothiazoles to diaroylacetylenes were trapped with Meldrum’s acid under mild reaction conditions to produce 2-[2-hydroxy-2-aryl-2H-1,4-benzothiazin-3(4H)-yliden]-1-aryl-1-ethanones in excellent yields.