Probing the CH3SH + N2O3 reaction by automated microwave double resonance spectroscopy

Because HSNO is formed abundantly and selectively from H$_2$S and N$_2$O$_3$ in the presence of metallic surfaces, it may be feasible to synthesize larger RSNOs in analogous reactions using RSH precursors. To critically explore this possibility, products of the CH$_3$SH + N$_2$O$_3$ reaction have been studied using a combination of chirped-pulse microwave spectroscopy and automated double resonance techniques. As with HSNO, we find that \textit{anti}-CH$_3$SNO is formed in high abundance under similar experimental conditions, suggesting that this production method might be extended to study still larger $S$-nitrothiols in the gas-phase. This talk will provide a status report of our analysis, high-level quantum chemical calculations of minima on the CH$_3$SNO potential energy surface, and searches for secondary products