Matrix isolation study of the reaction of dimethyl sulfoxide with CrCl2O2 and OVCl3

The matrix isolation technique, combined with infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations, has been employed to investigate the thermal and photochemical reactions of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) with CrCl₂O₂ and OVCl₃. Twin jet codeposition leads to formation and isolation of a photochemically unstable 1:1 complex. The photoproduct in the twin jet DMSO + CrCl₂O₂ experiments is identified as dimethyl sulfone, (CH₃)₂SO₂, interacting with the Cl₂CrO fragment, while in the analogous OVCl₃ reaction, the photoproduct bands were too weak to allow product identification. Merged jet codeposition led to rapid gas phase reaction, and in the case of DMSO + CrCl₂O₂, dimethyl sulfone is formed in high yield. This marks the first demonstration of a gas phase thermal oxygen atom transfer from CrCl₂O₂ to an organic substrate. For the reaction of DMSO with OVCl₃, no volatile products are deposited in the matrix and dimethyl sulfone is not a product. These results support differing pathways for the reactions of CrCl₂O₂ and OVCl₃, a conclusion that is supported by density functional calculations.