Dithioformate anion

Substituted dithioformate anions as ligands R C(S)S are usually called dithiocarbamates (R = R2N), alkyl and aryl dithiocarbonates or xanthates (R = RO), alkyl and aryl trithiocar-bonates or thioxanthates (R = RS). Dithioacid anions (R = alkyl, aryl) have been rarely used as ligands of nickel(II) because of their instability. Structural properties of selected nickel(II) complexes with substituted dithioformate, dithiolene and related ligands are shown in Table 90. 

The chemistry of the dithioformate anion was not explored until recently. A number of studies have appeared in the literature in which the formation of dithioformate complexes by the insertion of CS2 into the M- H bond of metal... 

Synthesis.— In an attempt to synthesize dithioformic acid by the action of dilute hydrochloric acid on potassium dithioformate (the product of the reaction between chloroform and potassium sulphide ), Gattow and Engler obtained a material consisting mainly of trimeric dithioformic acid. Recently, the same workers have also shown that the polymer of monothioformic acid in aqueous potassium hydroxide may undergo disproportionation, yielding equal amounts of formate and dithioformate anions. 

Other materials have also been used as spin traps, though to a much lesser extent (e.g. the aci-anion of nitromethane in rapid flow studies, and (dieth-oxyphosphoryl)dithioformates, (Et0)2P(0)C(S)SR, with a range of different R groups). More recently the term spin-trapping has been extended to the trapping of NO by a range of compounds including chelotropic traps, metal ion complexes and heme proteins. Recent advances in the latter area are not covered in detail here, as this area has been extensively reviewed elsewhere. " " ... 

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