Structure and composition of the products of the interaction of styrene with elementary sulphur

Microwave induced synthesis of diphenylthiophenes from elemental sulfur and styrene

“…One of the routes to the synthesis of diphenylthiophenes is the reaction of elemental sulfur with styrene. Unfortunately this is unselective and heating elemental sulfur with styrene (140-230°C) forms a complex mixture of acyclic and cyclic (2,4-diphenylthiophene, 2,4-diphenylthiophane, 2,5-diphenyl-1,4-dithiane, 2,5-diphenyl-2,3-dehydrothiane) products among which rubber like polysulfide oligomers and polymers predominate [4][5][6]. Increasing the selectivity of the synthesis of diphenylthiophenes from styrene and elemental sulfur remains an unresolved problem.…”