plik

MERCURY(II) CHLORIDE

Mercury(II) Chloride

HgCl

[7487-94-7]

(MW 271.49)

InChI = 1/2ClH.Hg/h2*1H;/q;;+2/p-2/f2Cl.Hg/h2*1h;/q2*-1;m
InChIKey = LWJROJCJINYWOX-ZZJRNXLTCY

(electrophilic mercuration of multiple bonds;

cleavage of

vinyl sulfides and thioacetals;

transmetalation;

preparation of

amalgams

–

)

Alternate Name:

mercuric chloride.

Physical Data:

mp 277

◦

C; bp 302

◦

C; d 5.440 g cm

−

Solubility:

sol H

O, alcohol, ether, glycerol, acetic acid, acetone,

ethyl acetate; slightly sol benzene, pyridine, CS

Form Supplied in:

white rhombic crystals.

Handling, Storage, and Precautions:

violent poison; may be fa-

tal if swallowed in 0.2–0.4 g doses. Exposure to any mercury
reagent is to be avoided. Teratogen; mutagen; irritant. Reacts
violently with K, Na. Releases toxic Hg vapor when heated to
decomposition. Handle in a fume hood.

Electrophilic Attack on Multiple Bonds. Although less elec-

trophilic than other Hg

reagents, HgCl

has been successfully

employed in electrophilic cyclization of various dienes

1,2

(see

also Mercury(II) Acetate) (eq 1);

an allylic hydroxyl controls

the diastereoselectivity of the latter reaction.

Aromatization of

certain conjugated systems has also been observed on treatment
with HgCl

Similar to Tl

salts,

HgCl

promotes iodocycliza-

tion of alkenic alcohols.

In the presence of a halogen (Cl

or Br

HgCl

facilitates halogenation of a C=C bond.

(1)

1. HgCl

, t-BuOH

2. NaBH

55%

Intramolecular aminomercuration of δ,ε-unsaturated amines

has also been accomplished with HgCl

7,8

(eq 2).

The stere-

ochemistry of the reaction is solvent dependent

and may be

reversible.

(2)

NHMe

N
Me

1. HgCl

THF
THF, H

10:90 36%
87:13 64%

2. NaBH

Terminal alkynes (RC≡CH) add MeOH in the presence of Tri-

ethylamine and a catalytic amount of HgCl

to give enol ethers

of the corresponding ketones (RC(OMe)=CH

This reaction

parallels the well-known HgSO

-catalyzed hydration of alkynes,

producing ketones. 3-Alken-1-ynes undergo catalytic aminomer-
curation in the presence of HgCl

at 70

◦

C over 3–6 h to produce

enamines.

By contrast, propargylic alcohols (HC≡CCH

OH) un-

dergo oxidative aminomercuration to afford bis-aminated alde-
hydes, e.g. (Z)-PhNHCH=C(NHPh)CH=O.

Propargyl amines

(HC≡C–CH

) add HgCl

in aqueous HCl to give ClCH=

C(HgCl)–CH

Treatment of silyl enol ethers of ε-alkynic ketones or aldehydes

with HgCl

(1.1 equiv) and Hexamethyldisilazane (0.2 equiv; acid

scavenger) induces cyclization (eq 3).

HgCl

(TMS)

OTMS

O HgCl

(3)

30 °C

Enol ethers derived from carbohydrates can be readily con-

verted into carbocycles via a HgCl

-mediated reaction which in-

volves an electrophilic attack at the C=C bond to generate the
corresponding ketoaldehyde, which cyclizes spontaneously via
an intramolecular aldol condensation (eq 4).

OMe

OBn

AcO

OBn

AcO

OBn

(4)

HgCl

CO–H

O (1:2)

reflux

Aldehydes RCH

CH=O (R=Me, Et) afford α,α-bischloro-

mercurated products on treatment with excess HgCl

Hydrolysis of Vinyl Sulfides and Thioacetals to Carbonyl

Compounds.

Whereas the hydrolysis of vinyl sulfides to ke-

tones works well with a mixture of HgCl

and an additive (HgO,

CaCO

, or CdCO

), the reaction leading to aldehydes often gives

unsatisfactory results. In this case, yields can be dramatically im-
proved if HCl is first added across the double bond of the vinyl
sulfide (RCH=CHSPh) to generate R–CH

CH(Cl)SPh. The lat-

ter intermediate is then quantitatively hydrolyzed by HgCl

and

water to the aldehyde RCH

CH=O.

Thioacetals

19,20

and O,S-acetals

are hydrolyzed by means

of HgCl

to the corresponding carbonyl compounds; addition of

Calcium Carbonate usually improves the yields (see also Mer-
cury(II) Chloride–Cadmium Carbonate). This method, involving
spontaneous spirocyclization of the resulting keto group, has been
employed in the synthesis of talaromycin B (eq 5).

(5)

1. HgCl

, MeCN

2. Me

C(OMe)

Talaromycin B

65%

Avoid Skin Contact with All Reagents

MERCURY(II) CHLORIDE

Methylthiomethyl (MTM) ethers can be converted into 2-me-

thoxyethoxy (MEM), methoxymethyl (MOM), or ethoxymethyl
(EOM) ethers on reaction with HgCl

and MeOCH

OH,

MeOH, or EtOH, respectively, in 70–80% yields.

Addition of HgCl

to boronate ate complexes derived from O,S-

acetals induces B → C migration. This sequence has been used to
obtain optically pure aldehydes (eq 6).

Selenoacetals are simi-

larly hydrolyzed by HgCl

/CaCO

in acetonitrile.

(6)

OMe

PhS

CHO

1. HgCl

PhS(MeO)CHLi

2. H

Preparation of Organomercurials by Exchange Reac-

tions.

Among the methods developed for the synthesis of

organomercurials is the transmetalation of other organometallics
with HgCl

(e.g. ArLi → ArHgCl or RMgCl → RHgCl),

1,25

and reactions of aromatic diazonium salts with HgCl

and

copper (ArN

−

→

ArHgCl).

The yields in the lat-

ter methods do not exceed 50%.

Sodium p-toluenesulfinate

is also converted into the corresponding organomercurial
(MeC

HgCl) on reaction with HgCl

Vinylmercury chlo-

rides (RCH=CH–HgCl) can be prepared by transmetalation
of the corresponding vinylalanes, which, in turn, are available
from terminal alkynes; the transmetalation occurs with >98%
retention of configuration.

A stable metalated cubane deriva-

tive has been obtained by lithiation of the diisopropylamide
of cubanecarboxylic acid with Lithium 2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-
piperidide followed by transmetalation with HgCl

Reversed

transmetalation (cubane–HgCl → cubane–Li) has also been des-
cribed.

Amalgams.

Mercury(II) chloride has been extensively uti-

lized for the preparation of a variety of amalgams (e.g. Zn,

Mg,

and Al)

32,33

to be employed in reductive processes such as Clem-

mensen reduction (with Zn)

or pinacol coupling (Mg),

and to

prepare, for example, aluminum ethoxide

and t-butoxide.

Miscellaneous.

Penam derivatives result from the HgCl

promoted ring closure of azetidin-2-one.

Mercury(II) chloride

seems to be a reagent of choice for isolation of histidine from a
mixture of amino acids in the form of an insoluble complex.

combination with iodine, HgCl

facilitates α-iodination of eno-

lizable ketones and aldehydes.

Related Reagents. Mercury(II) Chloride–Cadmium Carbo-

nate; Mercury(II) Chloride–Silver(I) Nitrite.

(a) Larock, R. C., Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1978, 17, 27. (b) Larock,
R. C., Tetrahedron 1982, 38, 1713. (c) Larock, R. C. Organomercury
Compounds in Organic Synthesis

; Springer: Berlin, 1985. (d) Larock,

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Springer: Berlin, 1986.

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10.

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11.

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Chem. Commun. 1985

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Hg:

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13.

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14.

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17.

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A list of General Abbreviations appears on the front Endpapers