Germanium disulfide or Germanium(IV) sulfide is the

inorganic compound An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds⁠that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''. Inorgan ...

with the formula Ge S₂. It is a white high-melting

crystalline A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macrosc ...

solid. The compound is a 3-dimensional polymer, in contrast to

silicon disulfide Silicon disulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula Si S2. Like silicon dioxide, this material is polymeric, but it adopts a 1-dimensional structure quite different from the usual forms of SiO2. Synthesis, structure, and properties Th ...

, which is a one-dimensional polymer. The Ge-S distance is 2.19 Å.

Isolation, production, reactions

Germanium disulfide was first found in samples of

argyrodite Argyrodite is an uncommon silver germanium sulfide mineral with formula Ag8GeS6. The color is iron-black with a purplish tinge, and the luster metallic. Discovered and named by Albin Weisbach in 1886, it is of interest as it was the material fro ...

. The fact that germanium sulfide does not dissolve in aqueous acid facilitated its isolation. Germanium disulfide is produced by treating a solution of

germanium tetrachloride Germanium tetrachloride is a colourless, fuming liquid with a peculiar, acidic odour. It is used as an intermediate in the production of purified germanium metal. In recent years, GeCl4 usage has increased substantially due to its use as a reagent ...

in a concentrated

hydrochloric acid Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid or spirits of salt, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungency, pungent smell. It is classified as a acid strength, strong acid. It is ...

solution with

hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is toxic, corrosive, and flammable. Trace amounts in ambient atmosphere have a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. Swedish chemist ...

. It precipitates as a white solid. It is insoluble in water, it dissolves in aqueous solutions of

sodium sulfide Sodium sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula Na2 S, or more commonly its hydrate Na2S·9 H2O. Both the anhydrous and the hydrated salts are colorless solids, although technical grades of sodium sulfide are generally yellow to brick red ...

owing to the formation of thiogermanates: :

Natural occurrence

Natural GeS₂ is restricted to fumaroles of some burning coal-mining waste heaps.

References

Germanium(IV) compounds Disulfides {{inorganic-compound-stub