Thioacetal with cadmium carbonate

Dithiolanes are quite resistant to both alkaline and acid hydrolysis, however the ring can be cleaved by cadmium carbonate and mercury(II) chloride, a well-known reagent for hydrolyzing thioacetals (53MI43200). Thus the 1,3-dithiolane derivative (218) is hydrolyzed by this reagent with formation of the hydroxydithiol (219). A similar reaction takes place on reduction of the 1,3-dithiolane derivative (218) with sodium and ethanol in liquid ammonia to produce the hydroxydithiol (219) (47JCS592). 

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