Chlorproethazine

Synthesis

Chlorproethazine can be synthesized from a diphenylsulfide derivative. The general scheme is sufficiently flexible to permit the interchange of the order of some of the steps.

Thus alkylation of aniline thioether () with 3-chloro-1-diethylaminopropane leads to the intermediate (). Ring closure as above by nucleophilic aromatic displacement leads to the antipsychotic drug chlorproethazine.