2,2'-Dithiodiethanol

clear yellow viscous liquid after melting

Bis(2-hydroxyethyl) disulfide is used as an intermediate in chemical research.

ChEBI: 2,2'-dithiodiethanol is an organic disulfide.

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 80, p. 838, 1958 DOI: 10.1021/ja01537a022
Synthesis, p. 50, 1978

Poison by intraperitoneal route. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of SOx,.

The raw materials 3-mercapto-1-propanol (0.92 g, 1 mmol) and sodium iodide (1.5 mg, 0.01 mmol) were put into a three-necked flask, and 3 mL of ethyl acetate was added as a solvent, and 30% hydrogen peroxide (0.11 mL, 1 mmol) was added slowly dropwise under magnetic stirring. After the dropwise addition, stirring was continued for half an hour at 30 C. After stirring, 15 mL of saturated aqueous sodium thiosulfate solution was added and extracted with 15 mL of ethyl acetate. The extract was then washed with 15 mL of saturated brine and then dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate, and finally, the solvent was removed by spinning to obtain the product 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide in 98% yield.