Diethyl sulfide

Diethyl sulfide is an organosulfur compound with the chemical formula. It is a colorless, malodorous liquid. Although a common thioether, it has few applications.

Preparation

Diethyl sulfide is a by-product of the commercial production of ethanethiol, which is prepared by the reaction of ethylene with hydrogen sulfide over an alumina-based catalyst. The amount of diethyl sulfide produced can be controlled by varying the ratio of hydrogen sulfide to ethylene.

Occurrence

Diethyl sulfide has been found to be a constituent of the odor of durian fruit and as a constituent found in volatiles from potatoes.

Reactions

Diethyl sulfide is a Lewis base, classified as a soft ligand. Its relative donor strength toward a series of acids, versus other Lewis bases, can be illustrated by C-B plots.
With bromine, it forms a salt called diethylbromosulfonium bromide:
A typical coordination complex is cis-, one of many transition metal [thioether complex]es.