Carbon Sulphidoselenide, CSSe

Carbon Sulphidoselenide, CSSe, may be prepared by the action of carbon disulphide vapour on ferrous selenide at 650° C. The product, on fractional distillation through a 50-inch bead-filled glass column, yields a deep yellow liquid as residue, which on repeated fractionation through the same column yields a middle fraction of the pure sulphidoselenide. It is obtained as a yellow oil of boiling-point 83.90° to 83.95° C. at 749.2 mm., and having a surface tension γ = 40.44 dynes/cm. at 20° C.

Under the action of zinc and hydrochloric acid the compound suffers reduction to hydrogen sulphide and hydrogen selenide. Chlorine reacts with it to form thiocarbonyl tetrachloride and selenium tetrachloride; bromine acts analogously, except that under certain conditions the compound C₂S₂SeBr₆ may be formed. With ammonia the products of reaction are ill-defined.

Treatment with phenylhydrazine in alcohol solution yields the compound (NHPh.NH₂)₂CSSe, which appears to be a substituted sulphidoselenocarbamate analogous to the compound formed when phenylhydrazine reacts with carbon disulphide. It is an unstable substance with melting-point 98° C. Aniline yields a somewhat more stable compound (NHPh)₄CSSe, with melting-point 164° C. With an alcoholic solution of sodium ethoxide, sodium monoselenoxanthate, NaS.CSe.OEt, is formed. This proves that the sulphidoselenide is analogous to carbon disulphide and carbon diselenide.