The synthesis and structural characterisation of the mercury (II) halide complexes of the phosphorus ylide carbethoxymethylenetriphenylphosphorane

The reaction of the ylide carbethoxymethylenetriphenylphosphorane (EPPY), Ph3PCHCOOEt, with mercury (II) halides has been investigated. The resulting dimeric mercury (II)-ylide complexes are isostructural and of the form [(EPPY)(HgX2)]2 where X is either bromine (1), chlorine (2), or iodine (3). These complexes have been characterised by spectroscopic techniques and X-ray diffraction. The ylide ligands have been shown to be C-coordinated to the mercury (II) atom.

Graphical abstractThe reaction of the phosphorus ylide, carbethoxymethylenetriphenylphosphorane, Ph3PCHCOOEt, with a mercury (II) halide yields a dimeric complex of the form [(Ph3PCHCOOEt)(HgX2)]2 where X is either bromine, chlorine or iodine. These structures have been characterised fully using spectroscopic techniques and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide