Synthesis and decomposition of tri- and tetraoxide derivatives of dialkyl trisulfides

The first isolation and characterization of sulfinyl sulfonyl thioanhydride 1 and its tetrasulfide analog are presented here, along with those of disulfonyl thio- and dithioanhydrides 2. The oxidation of various substrates at different temperatures has shown that, contrary to current belief, oxidation takes place regiospecifically at the external sulfinyl sulfur rather than at the internal sulfenyl sulfur. The decomposition of these compounds has also been investigated and was found to be consistent with the mechanism proposed for the decomposition of trisulfide monoxides.