Chiral oxiranes are converted into chiral aziridines viaβ-hydroxyalkly aryl sulfides and then β-tosylaminoalkyl aryl sulfides without loss of optical purity and with overall retention of configuration.
Thioethers bearing an optically active secondary alcohol were desulfurized with Raneynickel — sodium hypophosphite — acetate buffer system to give optically active alcohols without racemization in high yields. This Raneynickel combination system exhibited a unique desulfurization of benzylthio or phenylthio group in the presence of benzyl ether.
Sulfides and sulfoxides bearing an optically active secondary alcohol were desulfurized with a Raneynickel (W-2)-sodium hypophosphite combination system to give optically active alcohols in high yields without racemization. However, the combination system was not effective with sulfides which comprise an alkylthio group and the corresponding sulfoxides. This system exhibited the reductive desulfurization