Reactions of Carbon Disulfide withC-nucleophiles

The aim of this review is to present reactions of carbon disulfide with C-nucleophiles which form carbon-carbon bonds. Compounds with an activated methyl or methylene group react, in the presence of a base, as carbanions with the electrophile carbon disulfide to give dithiocarboxylates which can be converted to ketene dithioacetals on treatment with excess alkylation reagent. Acidification affords dithiocarboxylic acids. Bases of low nucleophilicity because of steric hindrance and sodium hydride, respectively, are often used for the deprotonation steps.