Sulfur compounds

This reaction highlights a distinctive property of sulfur: its ability to catenate (bind to itself by formation of chains).

[4] Ultimately, reduction of sulfur produces sulfide salts: The interconversion of these species is exploited in the sodium–sulfur battery.

When dissolved in water, hydrogen sulfide is mildly acidic:[5] Hydrogen sulfide gas and the hydrosulfide anion are extremely toxic to mammals, due to their inhibition of the oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin and certain cytochromes in a manner analogous to cyanide and azide.

Typical examples are: Some of the main classes of sulfur-containing organic compounds include the following:[10] Compounds with carbon–sulfur multiple bonds are uncommon, an exception being carbon disulfide, a volatile colorless liquid that is structurally similar to carbon dioxide.

[12] Sulfur–sulfur bonds are a structural component used to stiffen rubber, similar to the disulfide bridges that rigidify proteins (see biological below).

This process, patented in 1843, made rubber a major industrial product, especially in automobile tires.

Because of the heat and sulfur, the process was named vulcanization, after the Roman god of the forge and volcanism.