Steam distillation separates the trichloromethanesulfenyl chloride and hydrolyzes the disulfur dichloride.

Reduction of trichloromethanesulfenyl chloride with, e.g., tin[2] or dihydroanthracene[3] produces thiophosgene: An alternative one-step reaction is[4] CSCl2 is mainly used to prepare compounds with the connectivity CSX2 where X = OR, NHR.

[6] It forms a head-to-tail dimer upon irradiation with UV light: Unlike thiophosgene monomer, a red liquid, the photodimer, an example of a 1,3-dithietane, is a colourless solid.

[7] Swarts fluorination of the dimer and then cracking is the principal route to thiocarbonyl fluoride.

Inhalation of the substance can cause irritation of respiratory system, burns, delayed pulmonary edema and death.