Abstract
The reactions of L2As‒SPh (L = Me or Ph) with varying amounts of octasulfur, activated by triethylamine, aiming at the preparation of L2As‒S‒AsL2 and L2As(S)‒S‒AsL2 were slow and very complex in the sense that the composition in solution changed on work up. Generally, the disulfide L2As(S)‒S‒AsL2 was formed admixed with L2As‒S‒NEt3 + and L2As‒S−. The disulfide Ph2As(S) ‒S‒AsPh2 was not stable during chromatography giving sulfur (S8) and Ph2As‒S‒AsPh2 which was autoxidized to Ph2AsO2H·Ph2As(S)OH. Bunsen's cacodyl disulfide, Me2As(S)‒S‒AsMe2, was electrophilic toward activated octasulfur reacting at As˭S sulfur. Triphenylarsine was oxidized to pure triphenylarsine sulfide in boiling ethanol by octasulfur in the presence of a catalytic amount of triethylamine in short time and with excellent yields.