BUILDING BLOCK DIMETHYL SULFIDE: starting point for sulfur chemicals Dimethyl sulfide (DMS), an ether type solvent which does not form peroxides, is a building block for chemicals ranging from sulfonium compounds through sulfoxides, sulfones, sulfonic acids to metal salt complexes. While DMS characteristically is very stable, with proper reactants it is active either at the sulfur or methyl group. DMS participates in oxidation and alkylation reactions. As a building block, DMS serves, among other uses, as a source for the following groups in organic synthesis : CH3^~ Dimethyl Ο Methyl CH 3 ' a " sulfonium CH3-S-CH2- sulfinyl methyl CH3-S-CH2- Methyl ,, , CH3-S-CH2- Methylthio Λ Δ Ο sulfonyl methyl methyl
It can also be cleaved to provide the methylthio fragment for producing compounds such as methane sulfonyl chloride, chloromethane sulfonyl chloride and methane sulfonic acid. Such compounds are used and finding application in agri culture, medicine, textiles, polymers and industrial chemicals. For more information on the uses of DMS please write:
CROWN ZELLERBACH CHEMICAL PRODUCTS
DIVISION
CAMAS 4, WASHINGTON
