Bialkyls from dialkylmetals I. Photochemistry and mass spectra of some (2-cyanoethyl)- and [2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]metals

We have studied the photolysis and the fragmentation in the mass spectrometer of bis(2-cyanoethyl)mercury, bis(2-cyanoethyl) selenide, bis(2-cyanoethyl) sulphide, dibutylbis(2-cyanoethyl)stannane, and bis2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl] selenide. The mercury compound gave a high yield of adiponitrile on photolysis and in the mass spectrometer it gave the fragmentation pattern of adiponitrile, including the molecular ion, as part of the total fragmentation pattern. A low yield of bialkyl was also formed on photolysis of the bis2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl] selenide but no peaks corresponding to biakyl were observed in the mass spectrum. None of the other compounds yielded alkyl dimer.

A preliminary discussion of the results in terms of orbital symmetry is presented.