Vibrations of the S–S bond in elemental sulfur and organic polysulfides: a structural guide

This review summarizes and analyzes in comparative manner the S–S bond vibrations in IR and Raman spectra of elemental sulfur and organosulfur compounds containing disulfide and polysulfide moieties. It is intentionally biased toward application of the experimental S–S bond frequencies for structural elucidation of sulfur compounds. It was shown that the S–S bond frequencies are a useful tool for identification of the elemental sulfur modifications, organic disufides and polysulfides. Particular attention is paid to the correlation between the S–S bond frequencies and the molecular structure.