Chloromethyl methyl sulfide is used as a methylene transfer reagent for iron(II) mediated cyclopropanation and for carbonyl and aromatic compounds. It protects alcohols as their methylthiomethyl (MTM) ethers by reaction, e.g. with NaH/NaI in DME. It is also used for the preparation of MTM esters of carboxylic acids, e.g. by treatment of the K salt of the acid in the presence of NaI and 18-crown-6 and for reaction with cyclopentadienyl iron dicarbonyl dimer in the formation of an iron-containing methylene transfer agent.
