Sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate is the organosulfur compound with the formula . It is one of the simplest organic dithiocarbamates. It is a white or pale yellow, water soluble solid. The compound is a precursor to fungicides and rubber chemicals.
Sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate typically crystallizes from water as the diihydrate NaS2CN(CH3)2.2H2O. The anhydrous salt and the trihydrate are often used interchangeably.[1]
Sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate is obtained by treating carbon disulfide with diethylamine in the presence of sodium hydroxide:
CS2 + HN(CH3)2 + NaOH → NaS2CN(CH3)2 + H2OOther dithiocarbamates can be prepared similarly from secondary amines and carbon disulfide. They are used as chelating agents for transition metal ions and as precursors to herbicides and vulcanization reagents.
thumb|left|222px|Iron tris(dimethyldithiocarbamate) (Fe(S2CNMe2)3) is illustrative of hundreds of known dithiocarbamate complexes.[2]
It is a component of various pesticides and rubber chemicals in the form of its salts. Well established derivatives include potassium dimethyldithiocarbamate) as well as its complexes zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate, ferric dimethyldithiocarbamate, and nickel bis(dimethyldithiocarbamate). Oxidation gives thiram.[3] [4]