A Convenient Synthesis of 3-Methylthiobenzaldehyde

Abstract

Requiring the title compound as a starting material, we were surprised to find only one published synthesis,¹ involving five steps with an overall yield of 15%. This is in contrast to the 2-and 4-alkylthiobenzaldehydes, which may be synthesised in one step by reaction of sodium alkanethiolates with the readily available halobenzaldehydes². 3-Halobenzaldehydes, although readily available, do not react under these conditions².