Stable Quinone Methides: Regioselective para‐Oxidation of a 2,4‐bis[(alkylthio)methyl]phenol and addition reactions to quinonemethides

The 2,4-bis-functionalized phenol 1 is dehydrogenated regioselectivity with potassium ferricyanide, affording the corresponding p-quinonemethide 2. Hydrolysis of 2 affords a mixture of dithioacetal 5a and benzaldehyde 6; 1,6-addition of thiols to 2 gives the dithioacetals 5 of benzaldehyde 6; reaction of 2 with 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (= 2,2′-dimethyl-2,2′-azobis(propanenitrile)) leads to 9a, 9b, and 10, addition products of the 1-cyano-1-methylethyl radical. The structures of all products are confirmed mainly by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, and the mode of their formation is discussed.