1,3-Benzodithiole tetraoxide (BDT) 4 is more reactive in alkylation reactions than the commonly used bis(benzenesulfonyl)methane (1). This is demonstrated notably in dialkylations with sterically demanding alkyl halides. Besides its ready access and larger scope of applications, BDT has two other advantages over 1, a lower molecular weight and higher crystallinity of its alkylated derivatives. As in 1, the sulfone groups in BDT are readily cleaved by reduction with Mg in methanol.