Method of preparation of 1, 4-dithia-2, 3, 5, 6-tetracyanocyclohexa-2, 5-diene

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING TETRACYANO-1,4-DITHIIN WHICH COMPRISES REACTING DISODIUM DIMERCAPTOMALEONITRILE, UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS CONDITIONS, WITH AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFUR MONOCHLORIDE, SULFUR DICHLORIDE, THIONYL CHLORIDE, SULFURYL CHLORIDE AND A COMBINATION OF ELEMENTAL SULFUR AND CHLORINE IN A LIQUID ORGANIC REACTION MEDIUM CONSISTING OF CARBON, HYDROGEN AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OXYGEN, SULFUR AND NITROGEN, SAID COMPOUND BEING FREE OF ZEREWITINOFF ACTIVE HYDROGEN AND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHERS, CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTERS, NITRILES, TETRIARY AMINES, NITRO AND NITROSO COMPOUNDS, CARBOXYLIC ACID AMIDES, SULFIDES, SULFOXIDES, AND SULFONES, THE QUANTITIES OF REACTANTS BEING SUCH THAT, WHEN A COMPOUND CONTAINING SULFUR AND CHLORINE IS EMPLOYED, THE MOLE RATIO OF SAID COMPOUND TO DISODIUM DIMERCAPTOMALEONITRILE IS AT LEAST 0.5:1, AND, WHEN A COMBINATION OF ELEMENTAL SULFUR AND CHLORINE IS USED, THE MOLE RATIO OF CHLORINE TO DISODIUM DIMERCAPTOMALEONITRILE IS AT LEAST 1:1.