Related compounds | Formula C3H6S2 | |
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A dithiolane is a sulfur heterocycle derived from cyclopentane by replacing two methylene bridges (-CH
2- units) with thioether groups. The parent compounds are 1,2-dithiolane and 1,3-dithiolane.
1,2-Dithiolanes, such as lipoic acid, are cyclic disulfides.
1,3-Dithiolanes are important as protecting groups for carbonyl compounds, since they are inert to a wide range of conditions. Reacting a carbonyl group with 1,2-ethanedithiol converts it to a 1,3-dithiolane, as detailed below.
References
Dithiolane Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA