Sulfur oxoacid

The sulfur oxoacids are chemical compounds that contain sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen. The best known and most important industrially is sulfuric acid. Sulfur has a number of oxoacids; however, some of these are known only from their salts (these are shown in italics in the table below). The acids that have been characterised contain a variety of structural features, for example:

Acid Formula S oxdtn state Structure Related anions Notes
Sulfuric acid H2SO4 VI Sulfate, SO42− and hydrogen sulfate commonly known as bisulfate, HSO4 Best known and industrially significant
Polysulfuric acids including disulfuric acid or pyrosulfuric acid H2SO4.nSO3 VI Disulfate (commonly known as pyrosulfate), S2O72− and trisulfate, S3O102− Pure disulfuric acid melts at 36 °C.

Present in fuming sulfuric acid, oleum. Examples known for n=1,2.

Peroxymonosulfuric acid H2SO5 VI Peroxymonosulfate, OOSO32− "Caro's acid", a solid melting at 45 °C
Peroxydisulfuric acid H2S2O8 VI Peroxydisulfate, O3SOOSO32− A solid melting at 65 °C.
Dithionic acid H2S2O6 V Dithionate, O3SSO32− Not obtained pure, only concentrated solutions
Thiosulfuric acid H2S2O3 II Thiosulfate, S2O32−
Hydrogenthiosulfate HS2O3 (ammonium salt prepared in anhydrous methanol at −80 °C [1])
Aqueous solutions decompose.
Disulfurous acid or pyrosulfurous acid H2S2O5 IV Disulfite commonly known as metabisulfite, S2O52− Not known
Sulfurous acid H2SO3 IV Bisulfite, HSO3 and sulfite, SO32− Not known.
Dithionous acid H2S2O4 III Dithionite, O2SSO22− Not known.
Polythionic acids H2SxO6 Polythionates, O3S(Sx-2)SO32−. Example trithionate, tetrathionate, pentathionate, hexathionate, heptathionate, octathionate, nonathionate, decathionate, undecathionate, dodecathionate, tridecathionate and tetradecathionate. Examples known with x= 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14.

See also

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Footnotes

  1. ^ Raman spectroscopic discovery of the hydrogenthiosulphate anion, HSSO3, in solid NH4HS2O3 Steudel Rr.; Prenzel A Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 1989,44, 12, 1499-1502

Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0080379419.