and the bond length d(SO)= 1.49 #. The structure of the S,O molecule is probably that of a zigzag S, ring with an equatorial or axial 0 atom (symmetry CJ.
In light from an argon ion laser (488.0 and 514.5 nm) S,O decomposes slowly into SO, and S,, so that it was impossible to obtain an unambiguous Raman spectrum. Experimental: "Crude sulfane"["] (104 g) of mean composition H2S6.,, dissolved in CS, (266 ml), and SOCl, (62 g), dissolved in CS, (290 ml), were added in equimolar amounts simultaneously to a mixture of CS, (800 ml) and (CH,),O (200 ml) at -40°C during 8 h. After being stirred for a further hour the orange solution, from which a yellow precipitate had separated, was concentrated by 100 ml at -50°C in a vacuum. The solution was then separated from the precipitate and was concentrated to half its volume in a vacuum at temperatures rising slowly from -50 to -20°C. By then HCl and (CH,),O had been almost completely removed. The solution was next cooled slowly to -6O"C, whereupon a flocculent precipitate separated. This was filtered off, washed with a little ether at 20°C, dried in a vacuum, and recrystallized three times from CS,. Further S,O was isolated from the solid formed in the main reaction. Yield: ca. 3 g. All operations were carried out under dry N, and with carefully dried solvents.