Thermal rearrangement of 2-arylimino-3-aryl-5-benzylidene-thiazolidin-4-on(eI-sI V) by reflux in air
at 250°C has been thoroughly investigated. The isolated products are H,S, CO, CO,, ammonia, water,
arylamines, aryl isothiocyanates, benzothiophenes, arylnitriles, arylurea derivatives, arylthiourea derivatives, 2-arylquinolines, benzimidazole derivatives and polystyrene. With compound 111, in addition to the previous products benzaldehyde, bibenzyl, stilbene, bibenzylamine, benzylcyanamide and 2,3,4,5-tetraphenylthiophene were obtained. Free radical mechanisms involving homolysis of C-S and C-N
bonds have been suggested to account for the identified products.