Preparation of new nitrogen-bridged heterocycles 67. syntheses of alpha,alpha'-Bis[(thieno[3,4-b]indolizin-3-yl)thio]-o-, m-, and p-xylene derivatives and their conformational structures.

The alkaline treatment and dehydrogenation of pyridinium salts, formed from the S-alkylations of 3-(1-pyridinio)thiophene-2-thiolates with alpha,alpha-dibromo-o-, m-, or p-xylene, provided the corresponding alpha,alpha'-bis[(thieno[3,4-b]indolizin-3-yl)thio]-o-, m-, and p-xylene derivatives in low to good yields. Both (1)H-NMR and UV-Vis spectra of these products supported distinctly the predominance of the gauche-gauche conformation in relation to the two sulfide linkages as the spacer in these molecules. On the other hand, the X-ray analyses indicated the expected gauche-gauche conformation for the m- and the p-xylene derivatives, but the anti-anti one for the o-xylene derivative.