Synthesis and crystal structure of [C 6H 5Hg(H 2NSiMe 3)][H 2N{B(C 6F 5) 3} 2], a phenyl–mercury(II) cation stabilised by a non-coordinating counter-anion

Abstract

The new heteroleptic mercury(II) complex PhHgN(SiMe 3) 2( 1) reacts with the strong Brønsted acid [H(OEt 2) 2][H 2N{B(C 6F 5) 3} 2] with cleavage of a N–Si bond to give [C 6H 5Hg(H 2NSiMe 3)][H 2N{B(C 6F 5) 3} 2] ( 2), a phenyl–mercury(II) cation stabilised by a primary amine and a non-coordinating counter-anion. Attempts to generate donor-free aryl mercury cations were not successful. The crystal structure of 2 · CH 2Cl 2 shows short π-bonding interactions between the metal and the phenyl ring of a neighbouring cation; the geometry about the mercury(II) atom is nearly linear. The X-ray structures of the new salts [H 2N(SiMe 3) 2 · H 3NSiMe 3][B(C 6F 5) 4] 2 and [Et 3O][H 2N{B(C 6F 5) 3} 2] · CH 2Cl 2 are also presented.