Synthesis, structure, and some reactions of (2,4,6-tri-t-butyl)thiobenzaldehyde, the first stable aromatic thioaldehyde

The title compound 1 was synthesized by the reaction of 2,4,6-tri-t-butylphenyllithium with O-ethyl thioformate or that of 2,4,6-tri-t-butylbenzaldehyde hydrazone with disulfur dichloride in the presence of triethylamine. The thioaldehyde 1 is a purple crystalline compound which is thermally quite stable; only around 200 degrees C it underwent intramolecular cyclization to give 6,8-di-t-butyl-3,4-dihydro-1,4-dimethyl 9. The X-ray crystallographic analysis of 1 revealed that the thioformyl group is almost perpendicular to the aromatic ring. The reaction of 1 with 1-cyano-1-methylethyl radicals afforded 9, while that with t-butyl radicals gave 1,3,5-tri-t-butyl-2-t-butylthiomethylbenzene and t-butyl 2,2-dimethyl-1-(1,3,5-tri-t-butylbicyclo[2.2.0]hexa-2,5-dien-2-yl)propyl sulfide in addition to 9. Some Grignard reagents and organolithiums reacted with 1 gave carbophilic, thiophilic, double addition products and some others depending on the kind of the organometallic reagents. Hydrazine and butylamine reacted with 1 very readily to give the corresponding hydrazone and imine, respectively.