Xanthate salts are produced by the treatment of an alcohol, alkali, and carbon disulfide. The process is called xanthation. In chemical terminology, the alkali reacts with the alcohol to produce an alkoxide, which is the nucleophile that adds to the electrophilic carbon center in CS₂.

How do you make cellulose with xanthate?

Cellulose xanthate is prepared by first immersing cellulose pulp in aqueous sodium hydroxide to convert to alkali cellulose. The alkali cellulose is then depolymerized to control the alkali cellulose degree of polymerization prior to xanthation in carbon disulfide.

What is the chemical formula of cellulose xanthate?

The subscript "n" in the chemical formula indicates that many molecules chain together to make up the polymer. In this case, between 200 and 400 C₆H₇O₂ (OH)₂OCS₂Na molecules combine to make a molecule of cellulose xanthate.