2-Methylsulfonylpyrimidine can be used as a pharmaceutical synthesis intermediate and an organic synthesis intermediate, mainly in laboratory research and development processes and chemical and pharmaceutical synthesis processes.
2-Methylsulfonylpyrimidine was prepared as follows: a suspension of potassium carbonate (27.6 g, 0.2 mol) in a solution of 2-mercaptopyrimidine (0.1 mol) and methyl iodide (18.7 ml, 0.3 mol) in acetone (200 ml) was heated to reflux for a period of 3 hours. The reaction mixture was allowed to cool and then filtered followed by vacuum evaporation. Distillation of the mixture at a pressure of 0.01 mmHg gave 12.7 g of 2-methylthio-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine as a white solid. A portion of this solid (4.42 g, 28.7 mmol) was dissolved in dichloromethane (200 ml) and m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (50%, 22.8 g, 66.0 mmol) was added in batches. The resulting mixture was stirred for 5 days and finally it was filtered and then evaporated under vacuum. Purification by rapid column chromatography on silica gel, using ether as eluent, gave 2-methylsulfonylpyrimidine as a white solid, m.pt., 81 C.
