Sodium maleonitriledithiolate
Encyclopedia
Sodium maleonitriledithiolate is the chemical compound
described by the formula
Na2S2C2(CN)2. The name refers to the cis compound, formally derived from maleonitrile. The dianion is a "dithiolene
", i.e. a chelating alkene-1,2-dithiolate that serves as a non-innocent ligand
for transition metals. Several complexes are known, such as [Ni(mnt)2]2-.
The salt is synthesized by treating carbon disulfide
with sodium cyanide
to give the cyanodithioformate salt, which eliminates elemental sulfur
in aqueous solution:
The compound was first described by Bähr and Schleitzer 1958.
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
described by the formula
Chemical formula
A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
Na2S2C2(CN)2. The name refers to the cis compound, formally derived from maleonitrile. The dianion is a "dithiolene
Dithiolene
Metal dithiolene complexes are complexes containing dithiolene ligands. Dithiolene ligands are unsaturated bidentate ligand wherein the two donor atoms are sulfur. Dithiolenes are often referred to as "metallodithiolenes" or "dithiolene complexes"...
", i.e. a chelating alkene-1,2-dithiolate that serves as a non-innocent ligand
Non-innocent ligand
In chemistry, a non-innocent ligand is a ligand in a metal complex where the oxidation state is unclear. Typically, complexes containing non-innocent ligands are redox active at mild potentials...
for transition metals. Several complexes are known, such as [Ni(mnt)2]2-.
The salt is synthesized by treating carbon disulfide
Carbon disulfide
Carbon disulfide is a colorless volatile liquid with the formula CS2. The compound is used frequently as a building block in organic chemistry as well as an industrial and chemical non-polar solvent...
with sodium cyanide
Sodium cyanide
Sodium cyanide is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCN. This highly toxic colorless salt is used mainly in gold mining but has other niche applications...
to give the cyanodithioformate salt, which eliminates elemental sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
in aqueous solution:
- 2 NaCN + 2 CS2 → Na2S2C2(CN)2 + 1/4 S8
The compound was first described by Bähr and Schleitzer 1958.