Acyl iodides in organic synthesis. Reaction of acetyl iodide with thiols

The direction of reactions of acetyl iodide with aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic thiols is determined by the thiol acidity and steric factors. Acetyl iodide reacted with aliphatic thiols, including trialkylsilylsubstituted derivatives R(CH₂) _n SH (R = Me, n = 3; R = Me₃Si, n = 3; R = Et₃Si, n = 2), to give the corresponding ethanethioates R(CH₂) _n SCOMe. Benzenethiol was oxidized with acetyl iodide to diphenyl disulfide. The reaction of acetyl iodide with 2-sulfanylethanol afforded 2-(2-iodoethyldisulfanyl)ethyl acetate as a result of three consecutive-parallel processes: acylation, iodination, and oxidation of the initial compound. 1,3-Benzothiazole-2-thiol reacted with acetyl iodide only at the nitrogen atom to give quaternary salt, whereas the SH group remained intact.