Carbonyl sulphide formation via transient sulphenes

An inner ester of hydroxymethanesulphonic acid, α-sultine, is proposed as an intermediate for carbonyl sulphide formation, in the coupling reactions of methylene and sulphur dioxide, in the photolytic and solid state electron impact decomposition of dimethyl sulphone and tetramethylene sulphone, and in the pyrolysis of methanesulphonyl chloride.