Synthesis of 1,1-Bis(Phenylthio)-2-Methyl-1,3-Butadiene

Abstract
During the course of our studies on (2.3) sigmatropic rearrangements, various allylic and benzylic sulfides have been treated with chloromethylthiobenzene in basic media. Aqueous sodium hydroxide (50%) in the presence of a phase transfer agent was the most convenient medium for generating in situ the ylids of β, γ-unsaturated sulfonium salts containing a phenylthio group on the anionic carbon atom 1.