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Disulfur monoxide

Disulfur monoxide
Structure of S2O
solid ball model of S2O
Names
Other names
sulfur suboxide; Sulfuroxide;
Identifiers
20901-21-7
ChemSpider 124163
Properties
S2O
Molar mass 80.1294 g/mol
Appearance colourless gas or dark red solid
Structure
bent
Hazards
Main hazards toxic
Related compounds
Related compounds
trisulfur
SO,
Ozone,
SO2
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references

Disulfur monoxide or sulfur suboxide is an inorganic compound with formula S2O. It is one of the lower sulfur oxides. It is a colourless gas and condenses to give a pale coloured solid that is unstable at room temperature. It is a bent molecule with an S-S-O angle of 117.88°, S-S bond length of 188.4pm, and S-O bond length of 146.5pm.

Disulfur monoxide was discovered by Peter W. Schenk in 1933. However, only when Myers and Meschi studied it, did the actual composition and shape of the molecule become known.

It can be formed by many methods, including combustion of sulfur vapour in a deficiency of oxygen. It arises by oxidizing sulfur with copper oxide:

Other routes include the reaction of thionyl chloride with silver sulfide:

It also arises via thermal decomposition of sulfur dioxide in a glow discharge.

Disulfur monoxide forms a yellow solution in carbon tetrachloride. The solid can be obtained at liquid nitrogen temperatures, often appearing dark colored owing to impurities. On decomposition at room temperature it forms SO2 via the formation of polysulfur oxides.

Disulfur monoxide was first produced by P. W. Schenk in 1933 with a glow discharge though sulfur vapour and sulfur dioxide. He discovered that the gas could survive for hours at single digit pressures of mercury in clean glass, but decomposed near 30mm Hg Schenk assigned the formula as SO and called it sulfur monoxide. In 1940 K Kondrat'eva and V Kondrat'ev proposed the formula as S2O2, disulfur dioxide. In 1956, D. J. Meschi and R. J. Myers established the formula as S2O.

Desulfovibrio desulfuricans is claimed to produce S2O. S2O can be found coming from volcanoes on Io. It can form from 1 to 6% when hot 100 bar S2 and SO2 gas erupts from volcanoes. It is believed that Pele on Io is surrounded by solid S2O.

Condensed solid S2O displays absorption bands at 420 and 530 nm. These are likely to be due to S3 and S4.

The microwave spectrum of S2O has the following rotational parameters: A=41915.44, B=5059.07, and C=4507.19 MHz.


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