Efficient synthesis of β, β'-dihydroxy sulfides by ring opening of epoxides with mercaptoethanol catalyzed under solvent-free conditions
A simple and highly efficient synthesis of β, β′-dihydroxy sulfides has been achieved by ring opening of epoxides with mercaptoethanol using catalytic amount of benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (Triton B) under solvent-free conditions. Excellent regioselectivity was found for aliphatic unsymmetrical epoxides, with nucleophilic attack at the less-hindered carbon atom of the epoxide. However, this regioselectivitywas not observed for styrene oxide and a mixture of two isomers was obtained. This process was also regio- and chemo-selective as illustrated using epichlorohydrin with two epoxide ring positions and mercaptoethanol with two functional groups (SH and OH). Figure Presented.