Dithioamine reducing agents useful for the reduction of disulfide bonds. The reducing agents of this invention are useful, for example, to reduce disulfide bonds, particularly in proteins, or to prevent the formation of disulfide bonds, particularly in proteins and other biological molecules. Reducing agents of this invention are useful and suitable for application in a variety of biological applications, particularly as research and synthetic reagents. The invention provides S-acylated dithioamines which can be selectively activated reducing agents by removal of the S-acyl groups enzymatically or chemically. The invention further provides dithiane precursors of thioamino reducing agents. The invention provides dithioamine reducing agents, S-acylated dithioamines and dithianes which are immobilized on surfaces, including among others, glass, quartz, microparticles, nanoparticles and resins.
