Polysulfane Antitumor Agents from <i>o</i>-Benzyne. An Odd−Even Alternation Found in the Stability of Products <i>o</i>-C₆H₄S<i>_x</i> (<i>x</i> = 1−8)

Abstract

Benzyne is shown to add elemental sulfur and give rise to a series of polysulfane compounds. A computational and experimental study is presented. Odd-membered o-C6H4Sx rings (x = 1-8), except x = 1, which suffers from ring strain, have enhanced stability compared to even-membered rings. The acquisition of "odd-even" data may shed new light, revealing patterns on polysulfane stability and structure.