🥼organic chemistry review

Sulfide (R–S–R′)

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

A sulfide in organic chemistry is a compound where a sulfur atom is bonded to two carbon atoms, represented as R–S–R′, where R and R′ can be the same or different alkyl or aryl groups. It is an analog to an ether but with sulfur replacing the oxygen atom between the carbon chains.