Home > Community > What is the full chemical formula between methyl iodide and thiourea? I know it will produce mercaptan, but what else?
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Nji Gerald Nde

What is the full chemical formula between methyl iodide and thiourea? I know it will produce mercaptan, but what else?

Andy Hill  Follow

Methyl iodide CH3I and thiourea NH2CSNH2 when allowed to react, say in alcohol solvent, will produce S-methylisothiouronium iodide, a solid salt which can be isolated. This salt when treated with sodium hydroxide solution in water will be converted to sodium methanethiolate and urea by hydrolysis. The addition of an acid will liberate methanethiol (methyl mercaptan) and you nose will immediately reveal it presence (think skunk!). As a very, very dilute mixture in air is said to be a major contributor to the “smell of the ocean”. {This was the first chemical reaction I ran in graduate school in 1964.}

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Cynthia Billops  Follow

I think you are asking for what is the reaction between methyl iodide and thiourea. There are two products. One is a mercaptan and the second is hydroiodic acid (HI). The reaction is shown below.

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