Abstract Two novel, non-thiolic, odorless dithiol equivalents, α, α-diacetyl cyclic ketene dithioacetals 2a and 2b, had been developed. A range of carbonyl compounds 3 were converted into corresponding dithioacetals, dithianes 4 and dithiolanes 5, in high yields (up to 99%) in the presence of 2a or 2b. Moreover, 2a and 2b show high chemoselectivity between aldehyde and ketone in thioacetalization.
