581 Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds 2018, 54(6), 581–583 1,4-Dithiane-2,5-diol in the synthesis of thiophenes (microreview) Seyed Sajad Sajadikhah 1 *, Malek Taher Maghsoodlou 2 1 Department of Chemistry, Payame Noor University, P. O. Box 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran; е-mail: sssajadi@pnu.ac.ir 2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, P. O. Box 98135-674, Zahedan, Iran; e-mail: mt_maghsoodlou@chem.usb.ac.ir Submitted April 7, 2018 Accepted May 21, 2018 Malek Taher Maghsoodlou was born in 1955 in Gorgan, Iran. He got his BSc in Pure Chemistry from the Razi University of Kermanshah, MSc in Organic Chemistry from the Tabriz University and PhD in Organic Chemistry from the Tarbiat Modares University. Currently Prof. M. T. Maghsoodlou is a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran. His research interests include organic synthesis, heterocyclic chemistry, organo- phosphorus compounds, and dynamic NMR. Seyed Sajad Sajadikhah was born in 1982 in Mamasani, Iran. He obtained his BSc in Pure Chemistry from the University of Isfahan, MSc and PhD in Organic Chemistry under supervision of Prof. M. T. Maghsoodlou from the University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan. Currently he is a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry at the Payame Noor University, Iran. His research focuses on the heterocyclic chemistry, catalysts, and organic synthesis. Additionally, these heterocycles were reported as key building blocks of compounds with photochromic pro- perties. 3 Therefore, numerous efficient routes have been introduced for the synthesis of thiophene derivatives. Among these methods, the use of 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol as sulfanylacetaldehyde synthon has received extensive attention. Introduction Thiophene and its derivatives have attracted attention due to their wide pharmaceutical and biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antiosteo- porosis, anti-inflammatory, antipsychotic, and anti- convulsant. 1 They can also act as HIV inhibitors, glucosidase inhibitors, potential JNK2 and JNK3 kinase inhibitors, adenosine agonists, and mimics of penicillins. 2 This microreview provides insight on the selected methods of thiophene synthesis starting from 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol including K 2 CO 3 - and DABCO-catalyzed reactions, cyclopropane-based reactions, heterocyclization of alkynones, tandem Michael – intramolecular Henry reaction, Gewald reaction and thiophene ring construction as a part of fused and polycyclic structures. Microreview covers literature from 2010 to 2017. K 2 CO 3 -catalyzed reactions The reaction between 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol (1) and α-azido vinyl ketones 2 catalyzed by K 2 CO 3 in DMF gave 3,5-di- substituted 4-aminothiophene-2-carbaldehydes 3 in mode- rate to high yields. 4 Kumar et al. described the synthesis of 3-nitrothiophen- 2-amines 5 via the reaction of 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol (1) and 1-(methylsulfanyl)-2-nitroethenamines 4 in the presence of K 2 CO 3 in refluxing EtOH. 5 Kumara et al. reported another K 2 CO 3 -catalyzed reaction of compound 1 and α-oxoketene dithioacetals 6 in boiling EtOH for the preparation of 2-(methylsulfanyl)thiophenes 7 in moderate to good yields. 6 Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, 2018, 54(6), 581–583 0009-3122/18/54(6)-0581©2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC Here and further the corresponding author is marked with*. DOI 10.1007/s10593-018-2309-8