Reaction of a variety of thiols, including hydrogen sulfide, with a, b-unsaturated cyclic anhydrides in the presence of a basic catalyst under anhydrous conditions produced alkylthio and arplthio anhydrides rapidly and in high yields. The addition of thiols to maleic anhydride afforded a convenient direct method of making dl-alkylthio-and arylthiosuccinic anhydrides; the heretofore inaccessible tert-alkylthiosuccinic acids and anhydrides can be ...
