To investigate a key strategy of the total synthesis of salacinol. Methods: A simplified analogue of salacinol (1),1-(3-sulfooxypropyl)tetrahydrothiophenium inner salt (2) was designed and synthesized by a coupling reaction between tetrahydrothiophene (THT) and 3-iodopropanol (3-IPA) followed by the esterification of the resulting sulfonium with sulfur trioxide pyridine complex (SO3*Py). Replacement of the alkylating reagent (3-IPA) of THT led to the predominate formation of a undesirable cyclic compound,2,2-dioxo-1,3,2-dioxathiane (7). Resutls:This model experiments indicated that the tandem synthetic process leading to the sulfonium sulfate 2 could be applied for the total synthesis of salacinol (1) as an alternative method.