10.1021/jo001392v
Michael G. Silvestri and Chi-Huey Wong detail an efficient procedure for the synthesis of an orthogonal-protected 2-thioglyceraldehyde derivative. The authors initially attempted various methods to introduce a sulfur atom next to the aldehyde functional group but encountered challenges. They discovered that treating acrolein diethyl acetal sulfide with methanesulfenyl bromide at low temperatures efficiently opened the thiirane ring to form a halo disulfide. This compound could then be easily transformed into a fully protected version of 2-thioglyceraldehyde through substitution reactions with silver acetate, sodium azide, sodium iodide, and silver nitrate. The study also explored the conversion of this protected aldehyde to its usable form and reported the preparation of additional analogues. The findings suggest that the methanesulfenyl bromide method could be generally applicable for thiirane ring opening and has potential for future synthetic applications, including enzymatic reactions.