Fe-catalyzed direct dithioacetalization of aldehydes with 2-chloro-1,3-dithiane.

Present methods to synthesize 1,3-dithiane molecules require either harsh reaction conditions or highly specialized reagents. We have developed a catalytic dithioacetalization process that directly gains access to the corresponding 1,3-dithianes using aldehydes and 2-chloro-1,3-dithiane in a highly efficient manner. This methodology is beneficial due to mildness of the reaction conditions, and the dithioacetaliation process results in good to excellent yields by using 15 mol % of an iron catalyst.