Selective cleavage of thioether of ether functions in methoxythioanisoles in hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA) with sodium gives methoxythiophenols by cleavage of the carbon-sulphur bond. Reactions with sodium isopropanethiolate give instead the thiomethoxyphenols by dealkylation of the methoxy function. When the methoxythioanisoles were treated first with sodium isopropanethiolate and then with sodium