QUANTUM MOLECULAR STUDY OF S-METHYLATED FORMS OF SULFUR MUSTARD

An ab initio quantum molecular modeling of sulfur mustard and various S-methylated forms is presented in this work. The geometries, conforma tions and Mulliken charge distributions were obtained at the level HF/ 6-31G computations for. neutral sulfur mustard (HD); the HD+ episulfo nium; the 2-chloroethyl ethyl methyl sulfonium; the bis(2-chloroethyl) methyl (MeHD(+)) sulfonium and the bicationic form MeHD(++) obtained b y loosing a chloride in the chloroethyl branch of MeHD(+). The conform ational and the electrostatic situations are discussed with the aim to explain a possible rationale for detoxification of sulfur mustard pro posed by Mozier and Hoffman. A theoretical reaction pathway of MeHD(+) involving a closure way and a fragmentation way is proposed.