text: Xanthate salts are prepared by the action of alkoxides on carbon disulfide. The alkoxide is often generated in situ from potassium hydroxide:
  Potassium ethyl xanthate is a pale yellow powder that is stable at high pH, but rapidly hydrolyses below pH = 9:
  Oxidation gives diethyl dixanthogen disulfide:
  KEX is a source of ethylxanthate coordination complexes. For example  have been prepared from KEX for M = Cr, In, Co.