1,4-Dithiane-2,5-diol: An Attractive Platform for the Synthesis of Sulfur-Containing Functionalized Heterocycles

This microreview highlights the utility of 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol (1) as a source for the in situ generation of 2-mercaptoacetaldehyde (2), a versatile two-carbon synthon featuring both electrophilic and nucleophilic reaction centres and widely utilized as an attractive platform for the preparation of sulfur-containing molecules. We discuss the chemistry involved, mainly focusing on its applications to the construction of sulfurcontaining heterocyclic compounds including the thiophene and 1,3-thiazole families and other different sulfur–nitrogen and sulfur–oxygen heterocycles that continue to be a pillar of organic synthesis as a result of their broad application in organic and medicinal chemistry.