X-RAY STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A THIOLATE SALT DISPLAYING A VERY STRONG S-H...S HYDROGEN-BOND

In attempting to prepare [PPh4][SCH2CH2SH] 1 from Na[SCH2CH2SH] 2 and [PPh4]Cl, the derived salt [PPh4][SCH2CH2SCH2CH2SH] 3 is produced in high yield, by a mechanism which is shown to involve the nucleophilic displacement of HS- from the anion of 1; the X-ray structure of 3 shows that pairs of the anions are coupled by very strong, almost linear S-H ... S hydrogen bonds, with an S ... S distance of 3.454(2) angstrom.