Potassium ethyl xanthate is used as a reagent for extraction of metal ions into organic solvents and in the preparation of 2-mercapto benzimidazoles and 2-mercapto benzoxazoles by reacting with o-phenylenediamines and o-amino phenols respectively. It acts as a precursor in the production of unsymmetrical sulfides through cross-coupling reaction and as a floatation agent in the mining industry. It is involved in the determination of cadmium in water samples by substoichiometric radiochemical method and the adsorption of colloidal dye disperse Blue 3 onto pretreated polyester fabric.
Crystallise it from absolute EtOH, ligroin/ethanol or acetone by adding Et2O. Wash it with ether, then dry it in a desiccator. Its solubility in Me2CO is 8% at 25o. [Beilstein 3 H 563, 3 I 196, 3 II 367, 3 III 1101, 3 IV 1274.]
