One-Pot Synthesis of Thietanes

Significance

Reported is the one-pot synthesis of thietanes by the reaction of phosphorodithioate with alkenes and aldehydes mediated by sodium hydride. A plausible mechanism is proposed as shown. An analogous two-step process that involved a Baylis-Hilman reaction of the alkene and aldehyde followed by reaction with phosphorodithioate was shown as a proof of concept for the one-pot method, but did not give good yields.