Ionic liquids: green solvents and reactive compounds? Reaction of tri-n-butylmethylphosphonium dimethylphosphate with elemental sulfur

The opening of the S-8 ring with the formation of linear sulfur oligomers in the presence of trin-butylmethylphosphonium dimethylphosphate is shown. The reaction products are separated and characterized with H-1, C-13, P-31, O-17 NMR spectroscopy, HD-MS, MALDI spectroscopy and XRD. It is shown that dimethylphosphate-anion is active in the reaction, and the addition of sulfur atoms occurs via the oxygen atom of dimethylphosphate-anion. It is found that a mixture of products is formed, which differ in the number of sulfur atoms in the chain. The assumptions were made about the mechanism of interaction of sulfur with trin-butylmethylphosphonium dimethylphosphate.