8958. Sulfonethylmethane

Nomenclature

CAS number: 76-20-0
2,2-Bis(ethylsulfonyl)butane; diethylsulfonmethylethylmethane; methylsulfonal; Trional.
C8H18O4S2; mol wt 242.36.
C 39.65%, H 7.49%, O 26.41%, S 26.46%.

Description and references

Prepd by condensing ethylmercaptan with methyl ethyl ketone and oxidizing the resulting mercaptol with KMnO4: Fromm, Ann. 253, 135 (1889); cf. Baumann, Ber. 18, 883 (1885); Arch. Pharm. 226, 511 (1888); Bayer, Pharm. Ztg. 34, 98 (1889); DE 46333; Moragas, Uthoff, Chim. Ind. (Paris) 17, 284 (1927); Ramberg, Samén, C.A. 28, 6103 (1934); Suter, Organic Chemistry of Sulfur (New York, 1944) pp 735, 742.

Chemical structure

Properties

Lustrous leaflets, scales from water. Bitter taste. mp 74-76°. Upon further heating dec with evolution of SO2. One gram dissolves in 200 ml cold, about 30 ml boiling water, in 8 ml alc. Sol in ether. A satd aq soln is neutral to litmus.

Note

This is a controlled substance (depressant): 21 CFR, 1308.13.

Therapeutic Category

Sedative, hypnotic.

Therapeutic Category (Veterinary)

Has been used as a hypnotic.

Keywords

Sedative/Hypnotic