Aminium Salts Induced Desulphurization of Allyl and Diallyl Thiiranes. Synthesis of Dienes and Trienes

Catalytic amounts of aminium salts A-D induce the conversion of methylene chloride in solutions of several allyl and diallyl episulphides 1-6 into the corresponding unsaturated derivatives 7-12. The desulphurization process, which occurs through a plausible chain electron-transfer mechanism, rapid and may proceed in a fashion that preserves the stereochemistry of the starting episulphide