(1Z,3Z)-1,4-diphenyl-1,4-bis(p-tolylmethylthio)-1,3-butadiene

The crystal structure of (1Z,3Z)-1,4-diphenyl-1,4-bis-(p-tolylmethylthio)-1,3-b utadiene (1), C32H30S2, is described. Compound (1) has an s-trans conformation. The single bond length, C(2)--C(2'), in compound (1) of 1.432 (5) A is shorter than the C(3)--C(4) single bond (1.48 A) in 1,3-butadiene and the double-bond length, C(1)--C(2), of 1.350 (3) A in compound (1) is comparable to that in 1,3-butadiene (1.34 A). The short C--C single and double bonds in (1) may be attributed to delocalization (resonance) over the planar four-atom unit, hybridization changes, the presence of the S atoms, and/or other factors.