A new and facile synthesis of a-chloro sulfoxides involving the reaction of sulfinyl chlorides and diazo compounds has been developed. A comparison with previously known methods shows that this new method is superior for the preparation of many of the a-chloro sulfoxides whose reactions have generated much recent interest. In particular, methyl chloromethyl (l), bis (chloromethyl)(Z), benzyl chloromethyl (4), and methyl chlorobensyl (5) sulfoxides are ...