Liquid hydrogen sulphide as an ionising solvent. Part I. Base analogues and their neutralisation with hydrogen halides

Abstract

Tetra-alkylammonium hydrogen sulphides, R4NSH, have been prepared. The salts co-ordinate hydrogen sulphide loosely at low temperatures; the hydrogen-bond energy is about 5 kcal. mole–1. Solutions of the salts in liquid hydrogen sulphide are strongly conducting, compared with solutions of amines and phosphines. A hydrogen dichloride salt was formed in the neutralisation of tetra-n-propylammonium hydrogen sulphide in liquid hydrogen sulphide. Similar reaction of hydrogen halides with tetra-alkylammonium halides in liquid hydrogen sulphide gave salts containing the anions, HCl2–, HBr2–, Hl2–, HBrCl–, and HCll–.