An electron diffraction study of the molecular geometry of dimethyl sulphone

The present electron diffraction study of dimethyl sulphone eliminates the discrepancy between the values of the parameter ∠O-S-O obtained by microwave spectroscopy and electron diffraction. The following geometrical parameters (r_a values) have been obtained: r(C-H) = 1.114±0.003 Å, r(S-O) = 1.435±0.003 Å, r(S-C) = 1.771±0.004 Å, ∠C-S-C = 102.6±0.9°, ∠O-S-O = 119.7±1.1° and ∠S-C-H = 108.5±0.8°. Comparison of sulphone molecular geometries shows a trend toward longer S-O bonds and smaller O-S-O bond angles as ligand electronegativity decreases. The constancy of the O?O interatomic distance indicates the importance of non-bonded interactions.