Phenyl(trichloromethyl)mercury

Last updated
Phenyl(trichloromethyl)mercury
PhHgCCl3.svg
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
EC Number
  • 221-960-9
PubChem CID
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C6H5.CCl3.Hg/c1-2-4-6-5-3-1;2-1(3)4;/h1-5H;;
    Key: MVIAEGXPYBMVPT-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • C1=CC=C(C=C1)[Hg]C(Cl)(Cl)Cl
Properties
C7H5Cl3Hg
Molar mass 396.06 g·mol−1
Appearancewhite solid
Melting point 117–118 °C (243–244 °F; 390–391 K)
Hazards
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards
toxicity
GHS labelling:
GHS-pictogram-skull.svg GHS-pictogram-silhouette.svg GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg
Danger
H300, H310, H330, H373, H410
P260, P262, P264, P270, P271, P273, P280, P284, P301+P310, P302+P350, P304+P340, P310, P314, P320, P321, P322, P330, P361, P363, P391, P403+P233, P405, P501
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Phenyl(trichloromethyl)mercury is an organomercury compound with the formula C6H5HgCCl3. It is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. The compound is used as a source of dichlorocarbene, e.g. in cyclopropanation reactions, because the products are particularly easy to extract from the reaction mixture. Strong nucleophiles may catalyze the reaction by displacing CCl
3
from mercury, although the free ion is not believed to form in the process. Unusually, the pure organomercury compound reacts with electron-poor alkenes, converting tetrachloroethylene to hexachlorocyclopropane: [1]

C6H5HgCCl3 → C6H5HgCl + CCl2
CCl2 + Cl2C=CCl2 → C3Cl6

The compound is prepared by treating phenylmercuric chloride  [ fi ] with sources of dichlorocarbene. These include the base/haloform reaction and thermolysis of sodium trichloroacetate: [2] [3]

NaO2CCCl3 + C6H5HgCl → C6H5HgCCl3 + NaCl + CO2

Closely related compounds include phenyl(bromodichloromethyl)mercury (CAS registry number 3294-58-4) and phenyl(tribromomethyl)mercury (CAS registry number 3294-60-8). [4] According to X-ray crystallography, the former has nearly linear coordination geometry at mercury, with a C-Hg-C angle of 179° and Hg-C distances of 2.047 Å. [5]

Also known is bis(trichloromethyl)mercury, Hg(CCl3)2.

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References

  1. José Barluenga; Miguel Tomás; José M. González (2001). "Phenyl(trichloromethyl)mercury". Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis. e-EROS Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis. doi:10.1002/047084289X.rp141. ISBN   0-471-93623-5.
  2. Ted J. Logan (1966). "Phenyl(trichloromethyl)mercury". Organic Syntheses . 46: 969. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.046.0098.
  3. Seyferth, D.; Lambert, R. L. (1969). "Halomethyl-metal compounds XX. An improved synthesis of phenyl(trihalomethyl)mercury compounds". Journal of Organometallic Chemistry. 16: 21–26. doi:10.1016/S0022-328X(00)81631-9.
  4. Shipman, Michael (2001). "Phenyl(tribromomethyl)mercury". Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis. doi:10.1002/047084289X.rp140. ISBN   0-471-93623-5.
  5. R. E. Bachman; B. R. Maughon; D. J. McCord; K. H. Whitmire; W. E. Billups (1995). "Bromodichloromethyl)phenylmercury". Acta Crystallogr. C. 51 (10): 2033–2035. doi:10.1107/S0108270195004501.