The molecule, known as trisulfur, sulfur trimer, thiozone, or triatomic sulfur, is a cherry-red allotrope of sulfur. It comprises about 10% of vaporised sulfur at and . It has been observed at cryogenic temperatures as a solid. Under ordinary conditions it converts to cyclooctasulfur.
The S–S distances are equivalent and are , and with an angle at the central atom of . However, cyclic , where the sulfur atoms are arranged in an equilateral triangle with three single bonds (similar to cyclic ozone and cyclopropane), is calculated to be higher in energy than the bent structure experimentally observed. A cyclic ozone has been predicted for ozone, but has not been observed.
The name thiozone was invented by Hugo Erdmann in 1908 who hypothesized that comprises a large proportion of liquid sulfur. However its existence was unproven until the experiments of J. Berkowitz in 1964. Using mass spectrometry, he showed that sulfur vapour contains the molecule. Above is the second most common molecule after in gaseous sulfur. In liquid sulfur the molecule is not common until the temperature is high, such as . However, small molecules like this contribute to most of the reactivity of liquid sulfur. has an absorption peak of (violet) with a tail extending into blue light.
Formation of compounds with a defined number of sulfur atoms is possible:
The ion has been shown to be stable in aqueous solution under a pressure of , and is expected to occur naturally at depth in the Earth's crust where subduction or high pressure metamorphism occurs. This ion is probably important in movement of copper and gold in hydrothermal fluids.
Lithium hexasulfide (which contains , another polysulfide radical anion) with Putrescine solvation dissociates acetone and related donor solvents to .
The radical anion was also made by reducing gaseous sulfur with in a matrix. The material is strongly blue-coloured when dry and changes colour to green and yellow in the presence of trace amounts of water. Another way to make it is with polysulfide dissolved in hexamethylphosphoramide where it gives a blue colour.
Other methods of production of include reacting sulfur with partially hydroxylated magnesium oxide at 400 °C.
Raman spectroscopy can be used to identify , and it can be used non-destructively in paintings. The bands are for symmetric stretch, for asymmetric stretch, and for bending. Natural materials can also contain which has an optical absorption at and Raman band at .
can also be generated by [[photolysis]] of embedded in a glass or matrix of solid [[noble gas]].
Natural occurrence
occurs naturally on Io in volcanic emissions. is also likely to appear in the atmosphere of Venus at heights of 20 to 30 km, where it is in thermal equilibrium with and . The reddish colour of Venus' atmosphere at lower levels is likely to be due to .
Reactions
reacts with [[carbon monoxide]] to make [[carbonyl sulfide]] and .
Radical anion
Trisulfide ion
External links
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