Abstract
The reductive cleavage of sulfur containing organophosphorus compounds and its application to the analysis of organophosphorus pesticides were examined. Cidial, malathion, and dimethoate having a common structure (CH3O)2P(S)SR were treated by Raney nickel in ethanol. The non-phosphorus products characteristic to each of the original pesticides were formed, and they were identified with ethyl phenylacetate, diethyl succinate, and N-methylacetamide, respectively. Px which is a main phosphorus containing product common to these pesticides was identified with the phosphorus compound obtained by the same treatment of dimethyl dithiophosphate. The structure of Px and the reaction mechanism were discussed. It was also proved that this reaction afforded a new method to characterize this type of organophosphorus pesticides.
