Diethyl sulfide (British English: diethyl sulphide) is an organosulfur compound with the chemical formula (CH3CH2)2S. It is a colorless, malodorous liquid. Although a common thioether, it has few applications.
Preparation
Diethyl sulfide is a by-product of the commercial production of ethanethiol, which is prepared by the reaction of ethylene with hydrogen sulfide over an alumina-based catalyst. The amount of diethyl sulfide produced can be controlled by varying the ratio of hydrogen sulfide to ethylene.
Occurrence
Diethyl sulfide has been found to be a constituent of the odor of durian fruit[2] and as a constituent found in volatiles from potatoes.[3]
Reactions
Diethyl sulfide is a Lewis base, classified as a soft ligand (see also ECW model). Its relative donor strength toward a series of acids, versus other Lewis bases, can be illustrated by C-B plots.[4][5]
With bromine, it forms a salt called diethylbromosulfonium bromide:[6]
^Gumbmann, M. R.; H. K. Burr (1964). "Food Flavors and Odors, Volatile Sulfur Compounds in Potatoes". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 12 (5): 404–408. Bibcode:1964JAFC...12..404G. doi:10.1021/jf60135a004.
^Laurence, C. and Gal, J-F. Lewis Basicity and Affinity Scales, Data and Measurement, (Wiley 2010) pp 50-51 ISBN 978-0-470-74957-9
^Cramer, R. E.; Bopp, T. T. (1977). "Graphical display of the enthalpies of adduct formation for Lewis acids and bases". Journal of Chemical Education. 54: 612–613. doi:10.1021/ed054p612. The plots shown in this paper used older parameters. Improved E&C parameters are listed in ECW model.
^Scott A. Snyder, Daniel S. Treitler (2011). "Synthesis of Et2SBrSbCl5Br and Its Use in Biomimetic Brominative Polyene Cyclizations". Organic Syntheses. 88: 54. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.088.0054.