The group of scientists from Ruhr University Bochum (Germany) and the University of Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands) has successfully synthesized and isolated thioketenyl anions. In contrast to ketenyl anions, thioketenyl anions were so far a long-elusive class of compounds. Using carbon disulfide or thioisocyanates as CS transfer reagents, the team achieved this breakthrough through a CS-for-CO exchange process.
Spectroscopic and crystallographic studies, along with quantum chemical calculations, revealed that these anions exhibit a unique electronic structure best described as alkynyl sulfides with a C–C triple bond. This differs from previously reported related anions and can be attributed to the enhanced π-accepting properties of the carbon monosulfide ligand.
The distinctive bonding in these anions opens up new reactivity patterns, facilitating the creation of sulfur-heterocycles and neutral alkynyl sulfides. This research not only advances the understanding of these complex anions but also offers new possibilities for their application in organic synthesis.
These research findings were recently published in the Royal Society of Chemistry Journal "Inorganic Chemitsry Frontiers".