Purify thietane by preparative gas chromatography on a dinonyl phthalate column. It has also been purified by drying over anhydrous K2CO3, and distilling through a 25cm glass helices-packed column (for 14g of thietane), then drying over CaSO4 before sealing it in a vacuum. [Haines et al. J Phys Chem 58 270 1954.] It is characterised as the dimethylsulfonium iodide m 97-98o [Bennett & Hock J Chem Soc 2496 1927]. The S-oxide has b 102o/25mm, n D 1.5075 [Tamres & Searles J Am Chem Soc 81 2100 1959]. [Beilstein 17 I 3, 17 II 12, 17 III/IV 14, 17/1 V 14.]
