Sciencemadness Discussion Board

ethane sulfonyl chloride STENCH

spong - 26-12-2010 at 06:23

Hi :)
I was going to do some methylations and thought I'd try MES. I made ethane sulfonyl chloride ad described in Ullmann's post here: https://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=99...
The only difference being that I didn't cool the flask while chlorinating it. By the end of the reaction there was a red/orange oil that floated on the surface that smelled absolutely AWFUL!
I extracted a few times with DCM and had to stop there due to the smell. I've spilled a bit on the ground and the smell is still there, it's been over a month and I can still smell it. It smells like rotten garlic/thiol smell. I've stopped all my chemistry work due to that stench, I can't go in the shed anymore.
Does anyone know a good way to get rid of the smell? I still haven't distilled off the DCM, it's sealed in a flask along with the smell. Some yellowish crystals have precipitated too. If worst comes to worst I'll have to use this for a stinkbomb :P

[Edited on 26-12-2010 by spong]

mnick12 - 26-12-2010 at 14:05

Sounds like your bunte salt hydrolized into ethanthiol, I think the best way to get rid of that smell would be to buy a sprayer (the ones used to apply insectacides) and fill it with bleach, then spray it on the contaminated area.

aonomus - 26-12-2010 at 16:56

Basic bleach solution, say 5-10% NaOH w/v, and 10% commercial bleach solution v/v

spong - 26-12-2010 at 22:15

It smells quite different to ethnethiol, I'd rather huff straight ethanethiol than sniff this stuff ever again, it smells more sickly sweet and garlicish. Bleach should help though, there were two spots that smelled outside, I dumped the leftover Ca(OCl)2 from the chlorine generator on one of the spots and I think the smell may be gone.
I'll make some basic bleach soln. and try it on the other spot.
Does anyone think it's worth trying to recover anything from that DCM?

blogfast25 - 27-12-2010 at 06:26

Quote: Originally posted by spong  
It smells quite different to ethnethiol, I'd rather huff straight ethanethiol than sniff this stuff ever again, it smells more sickly sweet and garlicish. Bleach should help though, there were two spots that smelled outside, I dumped the leftover Ca(OCl)2 from the chlorine generator on one of the spots and I think the smell may be gone.
I'll make some basic bleach soln. and try it on the other spot.
Does anyone think it's worth trying to recover anything from that DCM?


Errrm.... NO!