Molecular polarizability. The dipole moments, molar Kerr constants, and conformations of some dialkyl and diaryl disulphides

Abstract

Dipole moments and molar Kerr constants are reported for five organic disulphides R₂S₂ (where R is methyl, t-butyl, phenyl, p-chlorophenyl, and β-naphthyl)in carbon tetrachloride solution. The experimental data are analysed to show (a) that each molecule has a skew structure with dihedral angles in the range 88-85º between the planes C?-S-S and S-S-C"; (b) that the anisotropic electron polarizabilities of the S-S group in dimethyl disulphide are b_L = 4.66 ų, b_T = b_v = 2.25 ų; and (c) that in the aromatic disulphides the aryl group planes are nearly coplanar with their respective C_ar-S-S groups.