Sometimes, this compound is incorrectly named sulfur monochloride (or sulphur monochloride by the British English spelling), the name implied by its empirical formula SCl.
S2Cl2 has the structure implied by the formula Cl−S−S−Cl, wherein the dihedral angle between the Cla−S−S and S−S−Clb planes is 85.2°. This structure is referred to as gauche, and is akin to that for H2O2. A rare isomer of S2Cl2 is S=SCl2 (thiothionyl chloride); this isomer forms transiently when S2Cl2 is exposed to UV-radiation (see thiosulfoxides).
Synthesis, basic properties, reactions
Disulfur dichloride is a yellow liquid that fumes in moist air due to reaction with water:
16 S2Cl2 + 16 H2O → 8 SO2 + 32 HCl + 3 S8
It is produced by partial chlorination of elemental sulfur. The reaction proceeds at usable rates at room temperature. In the laboratory, chlorine gas is led into a flask containing elemental sulfur. As disulfur dichloride is formed, the contents become a golden yellow liquid:[8]
S8 + 4 Cl2 → 4 S2Cl2, ΔH = −58.2 kJ/mol
Excess chlorine produces sulfur dichloride, which causes the liquid to become less yellow and more orange-red:
S2Cl2 + Cl2 ⇌ 2 SCl2, ΔH = −40.6 kJ/mol
The reaction is reversible, and upon standing, SCl2 releases chlorine to revert to the disulfur dichloride. Disulfur dichloride has the ability to dissolve large quantities of sulfur, which reflects in part the formation of polysulfanes:
8 S2Cl2 + n S8 → 8 Sn+2Cl2
Disulfur dichloride can be purified by distillation from excess elemental sulfur.
With primary and secondary alkoxide equivalents, it forms disulfoxylate esters:
2 ROH + S2Cl2 + 2 NEt3 → (R–O–S)2 + 2 [HNEt3]Cl
In principle the subsequent addition of base should give sulfoxylate esters, but typically induces disproportionation to aldehydes and alcohols instead.[10]
Applications
S2Cl2 has been used to introduce C−S bonds. In the presence of aluminium chloride (AlCl3), S2Cl2 reacts with benzene to give diphenyl sulfide:
Anilines (1) react with S2Cl2 in the presence of NaOH to give 1,2,3-benzodithiazolium chloride (2) (Herz reaction) which can be transformed into ortho-aminothiophenolates (3), these species are precursors to thioindigodyes.
It is also used to prepare mustard gas via ethylene at 60 °C (the Levinstein process):
^R. J. Cremlyn An Introduction to Organosulfur Chemistry John Wiley and Sons: Chichester (1996). ISBN0-471-95512-4
^Garcia-Valverde M., Torroba T. (2006). "Heterocyclic chemistry of sulfur chlorides – Fast ways to complex heterocycles". European Journal of Organic Chemistry. 2006 (4): 849–861. doi:10.1002/ejoc.200500786.
^F. Fehér "Dichlorodisulfane" in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Edited by G. Brauer, Academic Press, 1963, NY. Vol. 1. p. 371.
Thompson, Q. E.; Crutchfield, M. M.; Dietrich, M. W.; Pierron, E. (1 Aug 1965) [11 Jan 1965]. "Organic Esters of Bivalent Sulfur I: Dialkoxy Disulfides". JOC. 30 (8). doi:10.1021/jo01019a044.