The selective deprotection protocol of cyanoethyl-protected tetrathiafulval
ene thiolates is explained by DFT calculations on isomeric dithiolates; the
minimum energy conformation of the 2,3-dithiolate (3) is non-planar and li
es 34.6 kcal mol(-1) higher in energy than that of the 2,6-dithiolate (tran
s-5).