Hexafluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene → Difluoromaleic anhydride

Both difluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene-2,5-dione and tetrafluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene-2-one are made by the reaction of SO3 with hexafluoro-2,5-dihyrothiophene (Example 3, infra). Thus reaction of the hexafluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene with SO3 under reaction conditions less vigorous than those reported herein that produce difluoromaleic anhydride will produce difluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene-2,5-dione and/or tetrafluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene-2-one. Less vigorous conditions include one or more of lower reaction temperatures, shorter reaction times, lesser amounts of SO3 and the absence of catalysts. Since difluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene-2,5-dione and tetrafluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene-2-one are both intermediates in the reaction of hexafluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene with SO3 to produce difluoromaleic anhydride, reaction of either difluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene-2,5-dione or tetrafluoro-2,5-dihydrothiophene-2-one with SO3 under conditions described herein will yield difluoromaleic anhydride.