Properties | More Info | Isotopes | Allotropes | Spectra
Compounds | Reactions | Production
Atomic: M.A.C. | Reference
Diagrams: Shell | Atomic Radius | Electron || Images
Reactions of Sulfur
Reactions with water
Sulfur will not react with water under standard conditions.
Reactions with air
Sulfur burns in air to form sulfur(IV) dioxide.
  S8(s) + 8O2(g)8SO2(g)
Reactions with halogens
Sulfur reacts with fluorine and burns to form sulfur(VI) hexafluoride.
  S8(s) + 24F2(g)8SF6(l)
Molten sulfur will react with molten sulfur to form disulfur dichloride.
  S8(s) + 4Cl2(g)4S2Cl2(l)
With excess chlorine and in the presence of a catalyst it is possible to make a mixture containing and equilibrium of sulfur(II) chloride and disulfur dichloride.
  S2Cl2(l) + Cl22SCl2(l)
Reactions with acids
Sulphur does not react with dilute non-oxidizing acids.
Reactions with bases
Sulfur reacts with hot aqueous potassium hydroxide to form sulfide and thiosulfate species.
  S8(s) + 6KOH(aq)2K2S3 + K2S2O3 + 3H2O(l)
 
Reduction Potentials
Balanced half-reaction E0 / V
S(s) + 2e-S2- -0.476
S(s) + H+ + 2e-HS- -0.065
S(s) + 2H+ + 2e-H2S(g) +0.141
SO42- + 4H+ + 2e-H2SO3 + H2O +0.172
SO42-- + 4H2O + 2e-SO3- + 2OH- -0.93
SO42- + 8H+ + 6e-S(s) + 4H2O +0.357
HSO4- + 7H+ + 6e-S(s) + 4H2O +0.339
SO42- + 8H+ + 8e-S2- + 4H2O +0.149
SO42- + 9H+ + 8e-HS- + 4H2O +0.252
SO42- + 10H+ + 8e-H2S(g) + 4H2O +0.303
HSO4- + 9H+ + 8e-H2S(g) + 4H2O +0.289
S2O82- + 2e-2SO42- +2.01
S2O82-- + 2H+ + 2e-2HSO4- +2.123
S4O62- + 2e-2S2O32-- +0.08
S4O62- + 12H+ + 10e-4S(s) + 6H2O +0.416
S2O62- + 2e-2SO332- +0.026
SO2(g) + 4H+ + 4e-S(s) + 2H2O +0.451
H2SO3 + 4H+ + 4e-S(s) + 3H2O +0.450
2SO32- + 6H+ + 4e-S2O32- + 3H2O +0.705
2HSO3- + 4H+ + 4e-S2O32- + 3H2O +0.491
4HSO3- + 8H+ + 6e-S4O62- + 6H2O1 +0.58
4H2SO3 + 4H+ + 6e-S4O62- + 6H2O +0.509
SO32- + 6H+ + 6e-S2- + 3H2O +0.231
S22- + 2H+ + 2e-2HS- +0.298
S22- + 2e-2S2- -0.524
S32- + 3H+ + 4e-3HS- +0.097
S42- + 4H+ + 6e-4HS- +0.033
S52- + 5H+ + 8e-5HS- +0.003