PREPARATION AND X-RAY STRUCTURAL-ANALYSIS OF THE REMARKABLY STABLE BIS(TRIPHENYLMETHYL)TRISULFANE-2-OXIDE R(2)S(3)O

Triphenylmethylthiol reacts with thionylchloride in the presence of am ines to give [(C6H5)(3)CS]2SO which crystallizes with one mole of CS2 in the triclinic space group P ($) over bar 1 with a = 1193.4(4), b = 1266.8(5), c = 1421.6(7) pm, alpha = 63.79(2)degrees, beta = 65.25(2)d egrees, gamma = 63.18(2)degrees, rho = 1.354 g cm(-3) at -80 degrees C . The R(2)S(3)O molecules are of C-1 symmetry containing an almost pla nar CSSSC backbone with d(SS) = 212.7(1) and 211.4(1) pm, d(CS) = 188. 0(2) and d(SO) = 146.9(1) pm, alpha(SSS) = 83.8 degrees, alpha(SSO) = 112.0 degrees tau(CSSS) = 160.7 degrees and -172.3 degrees.