thumb|right|upright=1.1|alt=General structure of an isothiocyanate.|General structure of an isothiocyanate.
In organic chemistry, isothiocyanate is a functional group as found in compounds with the formula . Isothiocyanates are the more common isomers of thiocyanates, which have the formula .
Occurrence
Many isothiocyanates from plants are produced by enzymatic conversion of metabolites called glucosinolates. A prominent natural isothiocyanate is allyl isothiocyanate, also known as mustard oils.
Cruciferous vegetables, such as bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and others, are rich sources of glucosinolate precursors of isothiocyanates.
Structure
The and distances are 117 and 158 pm. By contrast, in methyl thiocyanate, and distances are 116 and 176 pm.
Typical bond angles for in aryl isothiocyanates are near 165°. Again, the thiocyanate isomers are quite different with angle near 100°. In both isomers the angle approaches 180°.
Synthesis
Allyl thiocyanate isomerizes to the isothiocyanate:
:
Isothiocyanates can be prepared by treating organic dithiocarbamate salts with lead nitrate or tosyl chloride:
:center|frameless|upright=2.7|Synthesis of phenyl isothiocyanate
Isothiocyanates may also be accessed by the fragmentation reactions of 1,4,2-oxathiazoles. This methodology has been applied to a polymer-supported synthesis of isothiocyanates.
In biology, the mustard oil bomb forms isothiocyanates through a variation on the Lossen rearrangement (uncatalyzed).
Reactions
Isothiocyanates are weak electrophiles, susceptible to hydrolysis. In general, nucleophiles attack at carbon:
center|The reaction of [[acetophenone enolate with phenyl isothiocyanate. In this one-pot synthesis the ultimate reaction product is a Thiazolidine. This reaction is stereoselective with the formation of the Z-isomer only.]]
Electrochemical reduction gives thioformamides.
Flavor research
Isothiocyanates occur widely in nature and are of interest in food science and medical research.