Exchange of organomercury compounds with mercury metal

Electrode reactions and electroanalysis of organomercury compounds

“…Charging curves of Et 2 Hg unexpectedly revealed a faradaic delay in addition to the adsorption ± desorption delay at ca. 71 V. 109,110 The faradaic delay potential coincided with E 2 1a2 of EtHgBr and the parameters of the corresponding Tafel plots also turned out to be close. 110 Moreover, it is known 1, 67 that many Alk 2 Hg compounds either reduced by the two-electron mechanism at very high cathodic potentials or were altogether polarographically inactive.…”

“…71 V. 109,110 The faradaic delay potential coincided with E 2 1a2 of EtHgBr and the parameters of the corresponding Tafel plots also turned out to be close. 110 Moreover, it is known 1, 67 that many Alk 2 Hg compounds either reduced by the two-electron mechanism at very high cathodic potentials or were altogether polarographically inactive. Thus diethylmercury could not be reduced on a Hg electrode up to 72.8 V. 127 Hence, the following two conclusions can be inferred: Ð upon adsorption on mercury, Et 2 Hg was transformed into an electroactive substance [EtHg] analogous to the product of the first step of the EtHgBr electroreduction;…”

“…Charging curves for arylmercury salts, namely, phenyl-(Ref. 110) and pentafluorophenylmercury bromides, 119 in contrast to charging curves of alkylmercury salts (see Fig. 2), contained no corresponding anodic delays, which pointed to the complete irreversibility of ER.…”

“…loss accompanied the ER of carboxyethylmercury bromide and certain AlkHgX derivatives (Alk = Me, Et, Pr, Bu, n-C 5 H 11 , cyclo-C 5 H 9 ). 109,110,123 With the increase in the electrode potential, the intermediate adsorption passed through a maximum in the ascending part of the first wave. This pointed to the product ± depolarizer interaction.…”

“…The species formed during the adsorption and electroreduction of RHgR H derivatives at a mercury electrode were studied 110,111 as well as the compositions of mixtures of RHgX and R H HgX; R 2 Hg and R H 2 Hg (R = R H ) (Fig. 6).…”