Dichotomous thermolysis of 9,10-dihydro-11-thia-9,10-ethanoanthracene 11,11-dioxides: a novel synthesis of 5H-dibenzo[a,b]cycloheptenes
Abstract
9,10-Dihydro-11-thia-9,10-ethanoanthracene 11,11-dioxides (1) on thermolysis eject sulphur dioxide and undergo rearrangements either to 9-methylanthracenes at low temperatures or at high temperatures to 5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptenes (2), which have been shown to undergo slow ring inversion.