A series of sulfur compounds has been prepared and tested against two kinds of fungi: Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. Results on various sulfone disulfides and ester disulfides have led to the formulation of a proposed mechanism for fungicidal behaviour that permits one to anticipate which structures will be antifungal.
Novel silica-induced controlled disproportionation of α-mercaptosulfones produces α-mercapto α′-sulfonyl sulfides. Its discovery and exploitation, as the heart of a new process – vault isomerization – permits the elaboration of a more efficient synthesis of a previously described synthetic precursor.