Oxidation of equimolar amounts of [p-BrC6H4CNSSN]Cl and [p-O2NC6H4CNSSN]Cl with elemental O2 in the presence of Ph3Sb in MeCN yields a mixture of the symmetric dithiatetrazocines, O2NC6H4CN4S2CC6H4NO2 (1) and BrC6H4CN4S2CC6H4Br (2) as well as the unsymmetrically substituted derivative BrC6H4CN4S2CC6H4NO2 (3). The structures of compounds 13 are determined by X-ray diffraction: 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c (a = 8.6397(4), b = 5.8359(4), c = 14.9767(11) Å, β = 92.088(4)°) with half a molecule in the asymmetric unit; 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P[Formula: see text] (a = 6.5330(5), b = 8.2084(6), c = 14.7264(9) Å, α = 84.483(4)°, β = 77.112(4)°, γ = 87.879(3)°); 3 was found to crystallize in two forms: recrystallization from CH2Cl2 at room temperature yielded a solvent-free, triclinic phase, space group P[Formula: see text] (a = 6.5060(9), b = 7.0739(9), c = 9.1164(8) Å, α = 81.860(3)°, β = 83.406(5)°, γ = 66.589(5)°), whereas cooling a solution to 5°C yielded a solvated form, 3·CH2Cl2, which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/m (a = 6.179(1), b = 10.960(2), c = 13.884(3) Å, β = 92.69(3)°). The NO2···Br intermolecular interactions observed in the unsolvated structure of 3 are disrupted in the solvate structure; the CH2Cl2 molecule in the latter is aligned such that its molecular dipole interacts with both nitro and bromo groups, retaining a molecular chain motif. The structures are discussed in relation to their semi-empirically calculated molecular electrostatic potentials and calculations of intermolecular interactions using van der Waals forces combined with an electrostatic point charge model.Key words: dithiatetrazocine, crystal structure, crystal engineering, molecular electrostatic potential.