NaSH in the construction of thiophene ring fused with N-heterocycles: a rapid and inexpensive synthesis of novel small molecules as potential inducers of apoptosis.

A facile construction of a thiophene ring fused with N-heterocycles has been achieved via the reaction of NaSH with 2-chloro-3-alkynyl quinoxalines/pyrazines leading to novel 2-substituted thieno[2,3-b]pyrazine/quinoxaline derivatives as potential inducers of apoptosis. Some of them showed encouraging pharmacological properties when tested in zebrafish.