Thiophosgene is a red liquid with the formula . It is a molecule with trigonal planar geometry. There are two reactive C–Cl bonds that allow it to be used in diverse organic syntheses.Manchiu D. S. Lay, Mitchell W. Sauerhoff And Donald R. Saunders "Carbon Disulfide" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia Of Industrial Chemistry, 2000, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.

Preparation Typically, is prepared in a two-step process from carbon disulfide. In the first step, carbon disulfide is chlorinated to give trichloromethanesulfenyl chloride (), a rare sulfenyl chloride:

The chlorination must be controlled as excess chlorine converts trichloromethanesulfenyl chloride into carbon tetrachloride. Steam distillation separates the trichloromethanesulfenyl chloride and hydrolyzes the disulfur dichloride. Reduction of trichloromethanesulfenyl chloride with, e.g., tin or dihydroanthracene produces thiophosgene:

An alternative one-step reaction isGraham-Otto's Ausführliches Lehrbuch der Chemie (in German; 1881). Germany: Vieweg. CCl4 + H2S → SCCl2 + 2 HCl

Reactions is mainly used to prepare compounds with the connectivity where X = OR, NHR.Pascual, Roxana Martinez "Thiophosgene" Synlett 2015, vol. 26, pp. 1776-1777. Such reactions proceed via intermediate such as CSClX. Under certain conditions, one can convert primary amines into isothiocyanates. also serves as a dienophile to give, after reduction 5-thiacyclohexene derivatives. Thiophosgene is also known as the appropriate reagent in Corey-Winter synthesis for stereospecific conversion of 1,2-diols into alkenes.

It forms a head-to-tail dimer upon irradiation with UV light:

Unlike thiophosgene monomer, a red liquid, the photodimer, an example of a 1,3-dithietane, is a colourless solid. Swarts fluorination of the dimer and then cracking is the principal route to thiocarbonyl fluoride.

Thiophosgene decomposes at 200 °C or above to form carbon disulfide and carbon tetrachloride.U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation (1999). CHRIS - Hazardous Chemical Data. Commandant Instruction 16465.12C. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office — via Cameo Chemicals. As cited in "Thiophosgene" PubChem compound record. It has also been observed decomposing to hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride, and carbonyl sulfide gases via contact with human tissue.

Toxicology and safety is considered highly toxic. Inhalation of the substance can cause irritation of respiratory system, burns, delayed pulmonary edema and death.US National Library of Medicine (2020). Hazardous Substances Databank entry, as summarized on "Thiophosgene" PubChem compound record.

See also

Phosgene Carbonyl fluoride Sulfur dichloride Thiocarbonyldiimidazole

References

Further reading