Reaction for nucleophilic opening of thiirane ring by thiols

Conclusions The nucleophilic opening of the thiirane ring by thiols proceeds with greater difficulty than that of the oxirane ring. Aliphatic and aromatic thiols in nonpolar solvents, using homogeneous catalysis by bases, can be unambiguously mercaptoethylated by selecting the necessary ratios of thiol compound and ethylene sulfide.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 660–662, March, 1975.