Thermodynamics of metal—ligand bond formation : XIX. Reaction of arylmercury halides with lewis bases

Abstract

Arylmercury halides react with 4-methylpyridine in benzene solution to form 1: 1 adducts of low stability, K ≈ 21 mol −1, ΔH° ≈ −25 kJ mol −1. Much more stable adducts are formed with 1,10-phenanthroline or N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,2-diaminoethane, usually 100 < K < 1000, but their enthalpies of formation are little bigger, implying two rather weak HgN bonds are formed. Tertiary phosphines cause symmetrization and the enthalpies of reaction agree with those calculated from data for the heats of formation and solution of the species involved.