Acid‐Promoted Thioacetalization in Water using 2‐(1,3‐Dithian‐2‐ylidene)malonic Acid as an Odorless and Efficient Thioacetalization Reagent

Abstract

Thioacetalization using 2‐(1,3‐dithian‐2‐ylidene)malonic acid 1 as a nonthiolic, odorless 1,3‐propanedithiol equivalent promoted by p‐dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid in water has been achieved. A range of selected carbonyl compounds 2 was converted into the corresponding dithioacetals 3 in high yields. Moreover, the thioacetalization showed high chemoselectivity between aldehydes and ketones.

Keywords:

• chemoselectivity
• 2‐(1,3‐dithian‐2‐ylidene)malonic acid
• p‐dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid
• thioacetalization
• water

Acknowledgments

Financial support of this research by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (20572013), the Ministry of Education of China (105061 and 10412), and the Department of Science and Technology of Jilin Province (20050392) is greatly acknowledged.