Rearrangement of 6,7‐dithiabicyclo[3.1.1]heptane 6‐oxides to a 7,8‐dithia‐6‐oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane catalyzed by montmorillonite K 10

Treatment of 2,2,4,4‐tetramethyl‐1,5‐diphenyl‐6,7‐dithiabicyclo[3.1.1]heptane 6‐endo‐oxide (2) with Montmorillonitc K 10 in dichloromethane gave 2,2,‐4,4‐tetramethyl‐1,5‐diphenyl‐7,8‐dithia‐6‐oxabicyclo‐[3.2.1]octane (6) (11%) with recovery of 2 (87%). Under similar reaction conditions, the 6‐exo‐oxide 7 and the sulfenate 6 gave a mixture of 6 (21%), 2 (67%), and 7 (9%) and a mixture of 2 (89%) and 6 (9%), respectively. These results indicate the relative thermodynamic stabilities of the three compounds to be 2 > 6 > 7. PM3 calculations on these compounds showed the heats of formation (kcal/mol) to be in the following order: 6 (44.12783), 2 (57.46721), and 7 (59.37918). The driving force of this unusual 1,2‐rearrangement of 2 and 7 to 6 would be the release of the ring strain of the bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane system of 2 and 7 by ring expansion.