A New Route to Mercury-Containing Triphenylphosphonium Salts with Electron-Withdrawing Groups at the P Atom and Some Transformations of These Compounds

(Aroylmethyl)triphenylphosphonium salts react with mercury(II) trifluoroacetate with replacement of the labile methylene hydrogen atom by the HgOCOCF₃ group to give mercury-containing triphenylphosphonium salts in quantitative yields. Treatment of the mercurated salts with potassium carbonate yields mercury-containing triphenylphosphonium ylides of symmetrical and unsymmetrical structures, which enter Wittig reaction with aromatic aldehydes to form the corresponding mercurated olefins (Z isomers) and triphenylphosphine oxide.