A Structural Study of Some Metal Diethyldithiocarbamate Chelates by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

The diethyldithiocarbamate chelates of copper (II), lead (II) and tin (IV) have been prepared and characterized. Pure or nearly pure metal diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC) chelates could be prepared through recrystallization. The x-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) for the recrystallized samples were obtained. Three different carbons (C Is) in the diethyldithiocarbamate molecule can be recognized through a computer deconvolution system. Sulfer 2p showed two peaks of spin doublet S 2p_1/2 and S 2p_3/2. Based on the XPS results we may conclude that the diethyldithiocarbamate ligand forms an unusual 4-membered chelate ring structure with the metal ion, both sulfur having bonding with the metal. The N in the DEDTC may also bind with the metal.