Multicomponent Modular Synthesis of Thioacetals by Using Dichloromethane as the C1 Synthon Under Mild Conditions

Meng-Jun Xie, Li-Hua Wen, Xuan Li, Ming-Yan Chen, Yu-Bing Li, Hai-Dong Xia*

Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2025, 28, e202401222.

Recently, the Hai-Dong Xia team from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (School of Carbon Neutrality Future Technology) at Shantou University made new progress in the research field of " Organic synthesis." The related research findings were published under the title " Multicomponent Modular Synthesis of Thioacetals by Using Dichloromethane as the C1 Synthon Under Mild Conditions" in the top journal "Eur. J. Org. Chem." (impact factor 2.8) in the field of organic chemistry.

Paper link:

https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.202401222

English abstract of the paper:

Thioacetals are an important category of sulfur-containing compounds and versatile building blocks. Therefore, there is growing demand for the development of practical and modular methods to access various thioacetals from inexpensive and readily available commodity chemicals. Herein, we describe a novel one-pot multicomponent protocol for thioacetals synthesis, especially benzylthio thioacetals synthesis, by employing feedstock chemical dichloromethane (DCM) as the C1 source under metal-free, mild and simple conditions. Furthermore, its synthetic utility is further demonstrated by the preparation of deuterated thioacetals, large-scale synthesis and broad functional group compatibility. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate the dual roles of DBU as both a proton scavenger and a nucleophilic catalyst. This work provides not only an excellent complementary strategy to the established thioacetals synthesis, but also a new platform for DCM application.