Ethylene episulfoxide is the

organosulfur compound Organosulfur compounds are organic compounds that contain sulfur. They are often associated with foul odors, but many of the sweetest compounds known are organosulfur derivatives, e.g., saccharin. Nature abounds with organosulfur compounds—sulfu ...

with the formula C₂H₄SO. A colorless liquid, it is one of the simplest

sulfoxide In organic chemistry, a sulfoxide, also called a sulphoxide, is an organosulfur compound containing a sulfinyl () functional group attached to two carbon atoms. It is a polar functional group. Sulfoxides are oxidized derivatives of sulfides. E ...

s. Because it is a strained ring, ethylene sulfoxide is a highly reactive molecule, decomposing thermally to

sulfur monoxide Sulfur monoxide is an inorganic compound with formula . It is only found as a dilute gas phase. When concentrated or condensed, it converts to S2O2 (disulfur dioxide). It has been detected in space but is rarely encountered intact otherwise. Str ...

and

ethylene Ethylene (IUPAC name: ethene) is a hydrocarbon which has the formula or . It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene (a hydrocarbon with carbon-carbon double bonds). Ethylene i ...

. It is prepared by oxidation of

ethylene sulfide Thiirane, more commonly known as ethylene sulfide, is the cyclic chemical compound with the formula C2H4S. It is the smallest sulfur-containing heterocycle and the simplest episulfide. Like many organosulfur compounds, this species has a highly ...

with

periodate Periodate is an anion composed of iodine and oxygen. It is one of a number of oxyanions of iodine and is the highest in the series, with iodine existing in oxidation state +7. Unlike other perhalogenates, such as perchlorate, it can exist in two ...

References

{{sulfur compounds Episulfides Sulfoxides