Reaction SMILES: BrC[C:3]([C:5]1[S:9][CH:8]2[CH:10]=[CH:11][S:12][CH:7]2[CH:6]=1)=[O:4].S1C([C:18](=[O:20])C)=CC2SC=CC12.[Br-].[Br-].[Br-].[C:27]1([N+:33](C)(C)C)C=CC=CC=1.C1([N+](C)(C)C)C=CC=CC=1.C1([N+](C)(C)C)C=CC=CC=1>C1COCC1>[CH3:18][O:20][N:33]([CH3:27])[C:3]([C:5]1[S:9][CH:8]2[CH:10]=[CH:11][S:12][CH:7]2[CH:6]=1)=[O:4]
Reactant: CC(=O)C1=CC2SC=CC2S1
Reactant: O=C(CBr)C1=CC2SC=CC2S1
Reactant: C[N+](C)(C)c1ccccc1
Agent: [Br-]
Solvent: C1CCOC1
Product: CON(C)C(=O)C1=CC2SC=CC2S1
Reaction time: 1 h

Procedure:
3a,6a-Dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2-carboxylic acid (2 g, 10.86 mmol) MeNHOMe-HCl (1.06 g, 10.86 mmol), HOBt (1.47 g, 10.86 mmol) and DIPEA (5.9 mL, 33.67 mmol) were combined in DMF (40 mL). To the stirred mixture was added EDCI (2.72 g, 14.12 mmol). After 5 h, EtOAc (100 mL) was added and the organics were washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 and brine then dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude residue was purified by silica column chromatography (20% to 45% EtOAc/Hex) to afford the title compound (1.98 g, 80%). 1-(3a,6a-Dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-ethanone: 3a,6a-Dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2-carboxylic acid methoxy-methyl-amide (1.955 g, 8.60 mmol) was dissolved in THF. The stirred solution was cooled to 0° C. before methylmagnesium bromide (1.4 M in PhMe, 8.6 mL, 12.04 mmol) was added. The reaction was allowed to gradually warm to RT o/n, then it was quenched by addition of 10% HCl. The aqueous phase was extracted with diethyl ether. The organic phase was washed with brine then dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated to afford the title compound (1.98 g, 80%). 2-Bromo-1-(3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-ethanone: 1-(3a,6a-Dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-ethanone (453 mg, 2.48 mmol) was dissolved in THF (12 mL) and phenyltrimethylammonium tribromide (932 mg, 2.48 mmol) was added. After stirring for 1 h, the suspension was filtered over CELITE. The filtrate was diluted with diethyl ether, then washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 and brine then dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated to afford the title compound which was carried on without purification. Pyrrolidine-1,2-dicarboxylic acid 1-tert-butyl ester 2-[2-(3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-2-oxo-ethyl]ester: Crude 2-Bromo-1-(3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b)]thiophen-2-yl)-ethanone (2.48 mmol assuming complete conversion from starting material) was treated with Boc-proline and MeCN (25 mL). Triethylamine was added and the solution was stirred at RT for 1 h then concentrated. The crude residue was purified by silica column chromatography (14% to 35% EtOAc/Hex) to afford the title compound (595 mg, 61%). Pyrrolidine-1,2-dicarboxylic acid 2-[2-(5-bromo-3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-2-oxo-ethyl]ester 1-tert-butyl ester: Pyrrolidine-1,2-dicarboxylic acid 1-tert-butyl ester 2-[2-(3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-2-oxo-ethyl]ester (595 mg, 1.5 mmol) was dissolved in DMF (7.5 mL) and treated with N-bromosuccinimide (295 mg, 1.65 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred for 4 d at RT then diluted with EtOAc and washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 and brine. The organic layer was dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude residue was purified by silica column chromatography (20% to 50% EtOAc/Hex) to afford the title compound (469 mg, 66%). 2-[5-(5-Bromo-3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester: Pyrrolidine-1,2-dicarboxylic acid 242-(5-bromo-3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-2-oxo-ethyl]ester 1-tert-butyl ester (480 mg, 1.01 mmol) was treated with PhMe (10 mL) and ammonium acetate (1.56 g, 20.24 mmol). The reaction mixture was refluxed while stirring for 16 h, then cooled to RT. EtOAc was added and the organic phase was washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 and brine. After it was dried over MgSO4, it was filtered and concentrated. The crude residue was purified by silica column chromatography (25% to 60% EtOAc/Hex) to afford the title compound (378 mg, 82%). 2-{5-[5-(4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-[1,3,2]dioxaborolan-2-yl)-3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl]-1H-imidazol-2-yl}-pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester: 2-[5-(5-Bromo-3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester (273 mg, 0.598 mmol), bis(pinacolato)diboron (0.228 mg, 0.897 mmol), Pd(dppf)2Cl2 (44 mg, 0.0598 mmol) and KOAc (176 mg, 1.79 mmol) were combined in dioxane and degassed for 12 min with bubbling N2. The reaction mixture was then stirred at 85° C. for 2.5 h, cooled to RT and diluted with EtOAc. The organic mixture was washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 and brine before being dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude residue was purified by silica column chromatography (25% to 60% EtOAc/Hex) to provide the title compound (0.159 g, 53%). The product was contaminated with an equimolar amount of a byproduct which was believed to be the proteodebrominated starting material. [1-(2-{5-[5-(4-{2-[1-(2-Methoxycarbonylamino-3-methyl-butyryl)-pyrrolidin-2-yl]-3H-imidazol-4-yl}-phenyl)-3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl]-1H-imidazol-2-yl}-pyrrolidine-1-carbonyl)-2-methyl-propyl]-carbamic acid methyl ester: 2-{5-[5-(4,4,5,5-Tetramethyl-[1,3,2]dioxaborolan-2-yl)-3a,6a-dihydro-thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl]-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester (159 mg, 0.317 mmol), 2-[5-(4-Bromo-phenyl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic acid tert-butyl ester (124 mg, 0.317 mmol), Pd(PPh3)4 (37 mg, 0.0317 mmol) and K2CO3 (2 M in H2O, 0.32 mL, 0.64 mmol) were combined in 1,2-dimethoxyethane (3 mL) and degassed with bubbling N2 for 10 min. The stirred reaction mixture was warmed to 85° C. for 3.5 h then cooled to RT and diluted with EtOAc. The organic phase was washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 and brine before being dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude residue was purified by silica column chromatography (EtOAc then 5% MeOH/DCM) to afford the Suzuki-coupled product (89 mg, 41%). This material was dissolved in DCM (4 mL) and treated with HCl (4 M in dioxane, 1 mL, 4 mmol). After stirring for 73 min, the reaction mixture was diluted with EtOAc and the solid was filtered off and rinsed with EtOAc. The solid was dried, then combined with 2-Methoxycarbonylamino-3-methyl-butyric acid (37 mg, 0.212 mmol), HATU (81 mg, 0.212 mmol) and DMF (2 mL). The stirred reaction mixture was cooled to 0° C. and DIPEA (0.17 mL, 0.96 mmol) was added dropwise. After 15 min, it was warmed to RT. 17 h later, the reaction mixture was diluted with EtOAc. The organic phase was washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3 and brine before being dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude residue was purified by HPLC to afford the title compound (23 mg, 22%). MS (ESI) m/z 801 [M+1-1]+.