Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Ubiquitous trisulphur radical ion S3·

Abstract

THE colour of blue ultramarine and the deep blue colour of alkali polysulphides in electron pair donor solvents have been attributed to the disulphur radical ion, S2· (ref. 1). That assignment is erroneous and I here establish the correct identity of the species, emphasise the variety of situations in which it is encountered and point out its possible role as an intermediate, in transformations involving elemental sulphur, or sulphide ions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cotton, F. A., and Wilkinson, G., Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, 3rd ed., 324, 431 (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Geitner, C. F., Pharm. Ann., 129, 350 (1864).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Lewis, G. N., Randall, M., and Bichowsky, F. R. V., J. Am. chem. Soc., 40, 356 (1918).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gruen, D. M., McBeth, R. L., and Zielen, A. J., ibid., 93, 6691 (1971).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Paterno, E., and Mazzuchelli, A., Gazz. chim. ital., 38, 137 (1908).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lux, H., and Anslinger, H., Chem. Ber., 94, 1161 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lux, H., Benninger, S., and Böhm, E., ibid., 101, 2485 (1968).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Giggenbach, W., J. inorg. nucl. Chem., 30, 3189 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Giggenbach, W., J. chem. Soc., Dalton, 729 (1973), and references therein.

  10. Chivers, T., and Drummond, I., Inorg. Chem., 11, 2525 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Chivers, T., and Drummond, I., J. chem. Soc., Dalton, 631 (1974).

  12. Seel, F., and Guttler, H-J., Angew. Chem., int. Ed. Engl., 12, 420 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Merritt, M. V., and Sawyer, D. T., Inorg. Chem., 9, 211 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Bonnaterre, R., and Cauquis, G., Chem. Commun., 293 (1972).

  15. Martin, R. P., Doub, W. H., Roberts, J. L., and Sawyer, D. T., Inorg. Chem., 12, 1921 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bodewig, F. G., and Plambeck, J. A., J. electrochem. Soc., 116, 607 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kennedy, J. H., and Adamo, F., ibid., 119, 1518 (1972).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cleaver, B., Davies, A. J., and Schiffrin, D. J., Electrochim. Acta, 18, 747 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. MacColl, R., and Windwer, S., J. phys. Chem., Ithaca, 74, 1261 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Chivers, T., and Drummond, I., Chem. Soc. Rev., 2, 233 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Daly, F. P., and Brown, C. W., J. phys. Chem., Ithaca., 77, 1859 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. McLaughlan, S. D., and Marshall, D. J., ibid., 74, 1359 (1970).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wieckowski, A., Phys. Stat. Sol., 42, 125 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Gustus, E. L., J. biol Chem., 239, 115 (1964).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Urbanski, T., Talanta, 9, 799 (1962).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Holzer, W., Murphy, W. F., and Bernstein, H. J., J. molec. Spectrosc., 32, 13 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Holzer, W., Murphy, W. F., and Bernstein, J. H., Chem. Phys. Lett., 4, 641 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Holton, W. C., and de Wit, M., Solid State Commun., 7, 1099 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Schneider, I., Dischler, B., and Rauber, A., Phys. Stat. Sol., 13, 141 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Vannotti, L. E., and Morton, J. R., Phys. Rev., 161, 282 (1967).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Lunsford, J. H., and Johnson, D. P., J. chem. Phys., 58, 2079 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Azarov, L. V., and Corrin, I., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 49, 1 (1963).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Curl, R. R., et al., Phys. Rev., 121, 1119 (1961).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Walsh, A. D., J. chem. Soc., 2266 (1953).

  35. Davies, C. G., Gillespie, R. J., Park, J. J., and Passmore, J., Inorg. Chem., 10, 2781 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Caron, A., and Donohue, J., Acta crystallogr., 18, 562 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Banister, A. J., Nature phys. Sci., 239, 69 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Dunitz, J. D., Acta crystallogr., 9, 579 (1956).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Lynn, S., Rinker, R. E., and Concoran, W. H., J. phys. Chem., Ithaca, 68, 2363 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Giggenbach, W. F., Inorg. Chem., 13, 1724 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Sasaki, Y., and Olsen, F. P., Can. J. Chem., 49, 283 (1971), and references cited therein.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Davis, R. E., and Nakshbendi, H. F., J. Am. chem. Soc., 84, 2085 (1962).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Hodgson, W. G., Buckler, S. A., and Peters, G., ibid., 85, 543 (1963).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Sorbo, B., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 38, 349 (1960).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Pryor, W. A., J. Am. chem. Soc., 80, 6481 (1958).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CHIVERS, T. Ubiquitous trisulphur radical ion S3·. Nature 252, 32–33 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/252032a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/252032a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing