Cycloaddition reactions of 2,3-didehydrothiophene generated by flow vacuum thermolysis of thiophene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride

Flow vacuum thermolysis (FVT) of thiophene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride ($\text{2}$) in the presence of 2,3-dimethylbutadiene ($\text{6}$) gives, in addition to 5,6-dimethylthianaphthene ($\text{9}$). small quantities of a dihydrodimethylthianaphthene ($\text{12}$) and another dimethylthianaphthene ($\text{13}$) which is probably also formed by dehydrogenation of $\text{12}$ with chloranil. The partial structures of these minor products are consistent with their being formed by a [2+2]-cycloaddition between $\text{6}$ and an intermediate aryne, 2,3-didehydrothiophene ($\text{1}$), followed by a rearrangement of the resulting adduct $\text{11}$ and dehydrogenation. FVT of $\text{2}$ in the presence of 2,5- ($\text{17b}$) or 3,4-dimethylthiophene ($\text{17c}$) also gave a mixture of the dimethylthianaphthenes ($\text{18}$$\text{22}$, $\text{23}$) which can be rationalized as arising by a [4+2]- and two [2+2]-cycloadditions of the aryne $\text{1}$ to the thiophenes $\text{17}$ with subsequent desulfurization. The lack of equilibration of the products $\text{18}$, $\text{22}$ and $\text{23}$, was demonstrated and their origin as a function of the structure and reactivity of the aryne $\text{1}$ discussed.