Germanium disulfide or Germanium(IV) sulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula Ge S₂. It is a white high-melting

crystalline A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

solid. The compound is a 3-dimensional polymer, in contrast to silicon disulfide, which is a one-dimensional polymer. The Ge-S distance is 2.19 Å.

History

Germanium disulfide was the first germanium compound found by

Clemens Winkler Clemens Alexander Winkler (December 26, 1838 – October 8, 1904) was a German chemist who discovered the element germanium in 1886, solidifying Dmitri Mendeleev's theory of periodicity. Life Winkler was born in 1838 in Freiberg, Kingdom ...

, during the analysis of

argyrodite Argyrodite is an uncommon silver germanium sulfide mineral with formula Ag8GeS6. The color is iron-black with a purplish tinge, and the luster metallic. Discovered by Clemens Winkler in 1886, it is of interest as it was described shortly after t ...

. The fact that germanium sulfide does not dissolve in aqueous acid made it possible for Winkler to isolate the new element.

Production

Germanium disulfide is created by reacting hydrogen sulfide with

germanium tetrachloride Germanium tetrachloride is a colourless, fuming liquid with a peculiar, acidic odour. It is used as an intermediate in the production of purified germanium metal. In recent years, GeCl4 usage has increased substantially due to its use as a reagent ...

in a concentrated

hydrochloric acid Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbol ...

solution.

Natural occurrence

Natural GeS₂ is restricted to fumaroles of some burning coal-mining waste heaps.

References

Germanium(IV) compounds Sulfides Dichalcogenides {{inorganic-compound-stub