Kinetic investigations into the synthesis of disulphides via tetrathiomolybdate as a sulphur-transfer reagent

Abstract

Kinetic and mechanistic aspects of the conversion of halides to disulphides using benzyl triethyl ammonium tetrathiomolybdate as sulphur-transfer reagent were investigated. The reaction follows a 1:1 stoichiometry with overall second-order kinetics and involves the formation of monosulphides in addition to disulphides. In the light of our observations, we propose a nucleophilic substitution: carbon-metal-carbon (S<inf>N</inf>-CMC) reaction mechanism. The proposed mechanism, besides accounting for all of our experimental observations, also explains many aspects of such reactions that have been reported earlier by various groups.