Diethyl sulfide (British English: diethyl sulphide) is an organosulfur compound with the chemical formula (CH3CH2)2S. It is a colorless, malodorous liquid. Although a common thioether, it has few applications.

Preparation

Diethyl sulfide is a by-product of the commercial production of ethanethiol, which is prepared by the reaction of ethylene with hydrogen sulfide over an alumina-based catalyst. The amount of diethyl sulfide produced can be controlled by varying the ratio of hydrogen sulfide to ethylene.

Occurrence

Diethyl sulfide has been found to be a constituent of the odor of durian fruit and as a constituent found in volatiles from potatoes.

Reactions

Diethyl sulfide is a Lewis base, classified as a soft ligand (see also ECW model). Its relative donor strength toward a series of acids, versus other Lewis bases, can be illustrated by C-B plots. With bromine, it forms a salt called diethylbromosulfonium bromide: A typical coordination complex is cis-PtCl2(S(CH2CH3)2)2.