Confirmation of Complex Formation Between Ethylene and Mercury Halides by Matrix-Isolation Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

Abstract Since DeKock1 first prepared the Ni(CO)n (n = 1,2,3 and 4) series in argon matrices, a number of unstable and transient coordination compounds have been synthesized by reacting metal vapor directly with the ligand in inert gas matrices at low temperatures. These include metals such as Pt, Pd and Ni, and ligands such as CO, N2′ NO, O2 and PF3. Van Leirsburg and DeKock2 prepared the MX2-L type complexes by reacting metal halide vapor such as NiF2 and NiCl2 directly with ligands such as CO, NO and N2 in argon matrices. Thus far, no reports are available on the synthesis of metal halid-ethylene complexes in inert gas matrices. In this letter, we wish to report the confirmation of such complex formation by matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy.