Molecular complexing as the initial stage of some reactions of organometallic compounds

Complexing of molecular oxygen with arylmercury compounds and phenyl derivatives of Group IV and V elements has been studied by electronic spectroscopy. The type of complexing appeared to depend on the nature of the central heteroatom in the organometallic compounds.The chemical model for the reaction of R₂Hg (R = Et, n-Pr, n-Bu, Ph) with CCl₄ indicates that the complex R₂Hg · L (L = molecular oxygen, aromatic compound) is formed in the initial stage of the interaction. By studying the influence of π-donors on this process the correlation between the yield of alkylmercuric chloride and the donor properties of the ligand has been determined.