Methylthiomethyl esters of alpha,beta-unsaturated acids 2 were converted into the corresponding ketene acetals 3 by O-silylation. Ketene acetals rearranged in refluxing toluene to give, after methanolysis, the corresponding gamma-methylthiomethyl substituted methyl esters 4. In the case of phenylthiomethylesters the products of alpha-substitution were observed. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Jaroskova, L., Bourgaux, M., Wenkin, I., & Ghosez, L. (1998). A rearrangement of O,O-silylketene acetals leading to gamma-thiomethylation of butenoic acid derivatives. Tetrahedron Letters, 39(20), 3157-3160. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(98)00508-5 (Original work published 1998)