α-acylketene dithioacetals in refluxing benzene affords α-acetoxyketene dithioacetals as major products which could be hydrolyzed to α-diketone dithioacetals under mild alkaline conditions. Under similar oxidative conditions, α-cinnamoyl ketene dithioacetals yield 2-acetoxycyclopentenone derivatives through an interesting oxidative Nazarov cyclization involving intermediate α-acetoxy dithioacetals accompanied