Tetrathiomalonate, diethyl

The interchange reaction between a thioxoester and a thiol does not, in general, represent a meaningful synthetic procedure since dithioesters are more readily available than thioxoesters in most cases. However, 0,S-diethyl tiithiomalonate (61b) and diethyl tetrathiomalonate (61c) were prepared from 0,0-di-ethyl dithiomalonate (61a). On the other hand, the transformation of one dithiocarboxylic ester into another can be a useful and practicable reaction. For instance, ethyl arenecarbodithioates are intercon-verted to 2-dialkylaminoethyl arenecarbodithioates, according to equation (62). 

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