In organosulfur chemistry, a Bunte salt is an archaic name for salts with the formula RSSO3–Na+. They are also called S-alkylthiosulfates or S-arylthiosulfates.[1] These compounds are typically derived from alkylation on the pendant sulfur of sodium thiosulfate:[2][3]
RX + Na2S2O3 → Na[O3S2R] + NaX
They have been used as intermediates in the synthesis of thiols.[4] They are also used to generate unsymmetrical disulfides:
Na[O3S2R] + NaSR' → RSSR' + Na2SO3
According to X-ray crystallography, they adopt the expected structure with tetrahedral sulfur(VI) atom, a sulfur-sulfur single bond, and three equivalent sulfur-oxygen bonds.[5]