Reactivity of polychlorophenylmercury compounds with 1,10-phenanthroline

The action of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) on the THF solutions of RHgCl (R = 2,5-C₆H₃Cl₂; 2,3,4? and 2,4,6-C₆H₂Cl₃; 2,3,4,5?, 2,3,4,6?, and 2,3,5,6-C₄HCl₄ and C₆Cl₅) gives RHgCl (phen) when R contains two chlorine substituents in ortho (R = 2,4,6-C₆H₂Cl₃; 2,3,4,6?, and 2,3,5,6-C₆HCl₄ and C₆Cl₅), but the symmetrisation reaction occurs when R = 2,5-C₆H₃Cl₂; 2,3,4-C₆H₂Cl₃ and 2,3,4,5-C₆HCl₄. The action of phen on HgR₂ only gives HgR₂ (phen) when R = 2,3,4,5-C₆HCl₄. Compounds of the type RHgMe do not react with phen. These results indicate that steric citects are as important as the electronegativity of R in the formation of tetracoordinated mercury compounds.