3-(Aryl)-2-sulfanylpropenoates of mercury(II) and phenylmercury(II)

Abstract Compounds [HQ] 2 [Hg(L) 2 ] and [HQ][PhHg(L)] [where HQ = diisopropylammonium cation; L = pspa, fspa, tspa, where p = 3-(phenyl), f = 3-(2-furyl), t = 3-(2-thienyl), and spa = 2-sulfanylpropenoato] have been prepared by the reaction of mercury(II) acetate or phenylmercury(II) acetate with the corresponding acid in the presence of diisopropylamine in ethanol. The compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, FAB mass spectrometry and IR and NMR ( 1 H, 13 C) spectroscopy. The crystal structures of the [HQ] 2 [Hg(L) 2 ] compounds show the presence of diisopropylammonium cations and [Hg(L) 2 ] 2− anions. In each anion the Hg atom is in an HgO 2 S 2 environment and this can be described as nido -tbp. The crystal structures of the [HQ][PhHg(L)] compounds show the presence of diisopropylammonium cations and [PhHg(L)] − anions in which the Hg atom adopts an HgCOS distorted T-environment. The NMR data suggest that the coordination mode of the ligand L 2− determined by X-ray diffractometry in the solid remains in solution.