One of the remarkable reactions of 2, 5-diphenyl-1, 4-dithiadiene (I) and its derivatives is the formation of thiophenes during partial oxidation reactions. Parham2 originally concluded that the formation of thiophenes proceeds by the loss of sulfur dioxide from an intermediate rnonosulfone of I. However, the thermal stability of the monosulfones of I'and of 2, 5-diphenyl- 3-bromo-1, 4-dithiadiene3 contradicts this conclusion. In our preceding publication'it was ...
