Photochemical and thermal transformations of carboxylic dithiocarbamic anhydrides and acyl xanthates

The reaction of diphenylchloroacetyl chloride with different dithiocarbamates gave the corresponding dithiocarbamic anhydrides. Under analogous conditions, dithiocarbamyl phenylacetic acids and dithiocarbamyl acetic acids were formed from the reaction of dithiocarbamates with phenylchloroacetyl chloride and chloroacetyl chloride, respectively. O-Ethyl S-acyl xanthates were formed from the reaction of potassium O-ethyl xanthate with diphenylacetyl chloride, diphenylchloroacetyl chloride, cyclopentylphenylacetyl chloride and triphenylacetyl chloride. Photolysis of dithiocarbamic anhydrides gave a mixture of products consisting of 1,2-dichlorotetraphenylethane, carbon monoxide and the corresponding thiocarbamoyl sulfides. Acyl xanthates, on the other hand, gave carbon monoxide and the corresponding substituted ethane derivatives. When dithiocarbamic anhydrides were refluxed in hydroxylic solvents such as methanol, ethanol and n-propanol, the corresponding dithiocarbamyl acetates were formed. Thermal decomposition of acyl xanthates gave carbon disulfide and the corresponding esters.