Thiocarboxylic acids are typically prepared by salt metathesis from the acid chloride, as in the following conversion of benzoyl chloride to thiobenzoic acid using potassium hydrosulfide according to the following idealized equation:
2,6-Pyridinedicarbothioic acid is synthesized  by treating the diacid dichloride with a solution of HS in pyridine:
This reaction produces the orange pyridinium salt of pyridinium-2,6-dicarbothioate. Treatment of this salt with sulfuric acid gives colorless the bis(thiocarboxylic acid, which can then be extracted with dichloromethane.