Lewis acid catalysed reaction of aliphatic thiols with thiophosgene

Abstract

2-Methylpropane-2-thiol adds in the presence of catalytic amounts of aluminium chloride or trifluoroacetic acid to thiophosgene with the formation of dichloromethyl t-butyl disulphide (7). 4,4-Dichloro-1,3-dithietan-2-thione (8) which was isolated in minor amounts, was independently synthesised from 2,2,4,4-tetrachloro-1,3-dithietan (thiophosgene dimer) and 2-methylpropane-2-thiol. The reaction of methane-, ethane-, and propane-2-thiol with thiophosgene has been re-examined.