2,5-Dimercaptoterephthalic acid was prepared by four routes to permit assessment of their relative merits for a bifunctional system and to permit confirmation of structures of useful intermediates through interconnections of the routes (Scheme I). The routes were: (I) conversion of the phenol to the , -bisthiocarbamate, rearrangement of this to the S,S-bisthiocarbamate, then saponification; (II) cleavage of 2,5-bisbenzyl thioether moieties of the terephthalate diester, then saponification; (III) reaction of potassium hydrosulfide with 2,5dibromoterephthalic acid; and (IV), route II but with the acid instead of the ester. 2-Mercaptoterephthalic acid was prepared by similar routes for the same reasons.Both the mono-and dimer capto acids reacted with aminoalkyl thiolsulfonates to give unsymmetrical aminoalkyl disulfides (Scheme II). Several products of Schemes I and II are of interest for further chemical studies and, particularly, for biological evaluation as antiradiation drugs, against histoplasmosis, or against schistosomiasis.

Die Herstellung von 2,5‐Dimercapto‐ (VIIa) und 2‐Mercapto‐terephthalsäure (VIIb) nach verschiedenen Methoden wird untersucht.