Mercuric acetate, addition

Inoue, Y. M., Noda, M., and Hirayama, O. (1955). Paper chromatography of unsaturated fatty acid esters as their mercuric acetate addition compounds. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 32 132-135. 

This following article was sent to Strike by Osmium and Feck (are they the same person ). It involves the direct addition of azide to a terminal alkene (you-know-who) by the in situ production of the reactant mercury (II) azide from mercuric acetate and sodium azide (please don t ask) [80]. 

Chemical assay is preferably performed by gas—hquid chromatography (glc) or by the conventional methods for determination of unsaturation such as bromination or addition of mercaptan, sodium bisulfite, or mercuric acetate. 

Another method of preparing mercuric acetate is the oxidation of mercury metal using peracetic acid dissolved in acetic acid. Careful control of the temperature is extremely important because the reaction is quite exothermic. A preferred procedure is the addition of approximately half to two-thirds of the required total of peracetic acid solution to a dispersion of mercury metal in acetic acid to obtain the mercurous salt, followed by addition of the remainder of the peracetic acid to form the mercuric salt. The exothermic reaction is carried to completion by heating slowly and cautiously to reflux. This also serves to decompose excess peracid. It is possible and perhaps more economical to use 50% hydrogen peroxide instead of peracetic acid, but the reaction does not go quite as smoothly. 

Alkynes react with mercuric acetate in acetic acid to give addition products. In the case of 3-hexyne, the product has -stereochemistry, but the Z-isomer is isolated from diphenylacetylene. The kinetics of the addition reaction are first-order in both alkyne and... 

The acid catalyzed hydration of olefins is frequently attended by decomposition or rearrangement of the acid-sensitive substrate. A simple and mild procedure for the Markovnikov hydration of double bonds has recently been devised by Brown and co-workers 13). This reaction, which appears to be remarkably free of rearrangements, initially involves the addition of mercuric acetate to the double bond to give the 1,2-... 

We saw in Section 7.4 that alkenes react with water in the presence of mercuric acetate to yield a hvdroxymercuration product. Subsequent treatment with NaBH4 breaks the C-Hg bond and yields the alcohol. A similar alkoxymercuration reaction occurs when an alkenc is treated with an alcohol in the presence of mercuric acetate or, even better, mercuric trifluoroacetate, (Cl CCtitiHg. Demercura-tion by reaction with NaBH4 then yields an ether. The net result is Markovnikov addition of the alcohol to the alkene. 

The addition reactions discussed in Sections 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 are initiated by the interaction of a proton with the alkene. Electron density is drawn toward the proton and this causes nucleophilic attack on the double bond. The role of the electrophile can also be played by metal cations, and the mercuric ion is the electrophile in several synthetically valuable procedures.13 The most commonly used reagent is mercuric acetate, but the trifluoroacetate, trifluoromethanesulfonate, or nitrate salts are more reactive and preferable in some applications. A general mechanism depicts a mercurinium ion as an intermediate.14 Such species can be detected by physical measurements when alkenes react with mercuric ions in nonnucleophilic solvents.15 The cation may be predominantly bridged or open, depending on the structure of the particular alkene. The addition is completed by attack of a nucleophile at the more-substituted carbon. The nucleophilic capture is usually the rate- and product-controlling step.13,16... 

The threo stereoisomer was the major product obtained by the synthesis in Scheme 13.14. This stereochemistry was established by the conjugate addition in Step A, where a significant (4-6 1) diastereoselectivity was observed. The C(4)-C(7) stereochemical relationship was retained through the remainder of the synthesis. The other special features of this synthesis are in Steps B and C. The mercuric acetate-mediated cyclopropane ring opening was facilitated by the alkoxy substituent.19 The reduction by NaBH4 accomplished both demercuration and reduction of the aldehyde group. 

Mercuric carboxylates, which decarboxylate by a chain mechanism when initiated by peroxides, also decarboxylate under UV irradiation (123,128,129,131-140,142,144-146,153-155). In addition, decarboxylation was observed for mercuric benzoate and mercuric a-naphthoate (123). Side reactions [Eqs. (24), (25), (109)] observed in peroxide initiated reactions also occurred on UV irradiation, and mercurous salt formation [Eq.(24)] was more extensive under the latter conditions. Decarboxylation giving methylmercuric acetate occurred on irradiation of mercuric acetate in aqueous solution and is considered to be of environmental significance (156,157). Stepwise decarboxylation giving (CF3)2Hg occurred on irradiation of solid mercuric trifluoroacetate at -196° C (158), but, at 20° C, trifluoromethyl radicals diffused from the solid and dimerized (158). No other diorganomercurial has been formed by radical decarboxylation, and the reaction is not preparatively competitive with the thermal decarboxylation synthesis of (CF3)2Hg (26,27) (Section III,A). 

A complex naturally occurring amino acid 5-hydroxypiperazic acid (5HyPip) 100 was prepared by a multistep procedure that included Diels-Alder addition of 2,4-pentadienoic acid to phthalazinedione 83a as a first step (Scheme 24). Adduct 97 was esterified and oxidized with mercuric acetate to 98, which on hydrogenation over rhodium on alumina and subsequent hydrolysis provided a mixture of enantiomers from which the required enantiomer 99 was obtained by resolution with quinine. Its hydrazinolysis provided 100 [71JCS(C)514 77H119],... 

The cuprate derived from the cis isomer of this reagent undergoes conjugate addition with cyclohexenone with unusually high diastereoselectivity (5 1, Eq. 23)24). In this case, electrophilically initiated ring opening with mercuric acetate chemo-selectively attacks the sterically least hindered cyclopropyl bond to give a branched product 7. Reductive work-up produces 8 in which the stereochemistry of the... 

When the base is in the form of a salt of a weak acid, removal of an anionic counter ion prior to titration is not necessary, e.g. for salts of bases with weak acids such as tartrate, acetate or succinate. However, when a base is in the form of a chloride or bromide salt, the counter ion has to be removed prior to titration. This is achieved by addition of mercuric acetate the liberated acetate is then titrated with acetous perchloric acid. This is illustrated in Figure 3.9 for the example of phenylephrine.HCl. 

Electrophilic addition to 9-vinylcarbazole occurs in the Markovnikov sense, thus hydrogen chloride,hydrogen bromide,chlorine, and bromine in carbon tetrachloride, and iodine chloride in pyridine are recorded as adding with initial electrophilic attack at the methylene. Mercuric acetate in methanol gave 9-(2-acetoxymercuri-l-methoxyethyl)carbazole. Although 9-vinylcarbazole gave an iodohydrin, comparable reaction with methanolic sodium hypochlorite led to 9-(2-chlorovinyl)carbazole. Catalytic reduction of the latter produced 9-(2-chloroethyl)carbazole. Tri-phenyltin hydride gave 96. ... 

Unsaturation in the olefinic feeds and recovered oils was determined by mercuric acetate complex formation, which yields titratable acetic acid (21). The addition of peroxide concentrate to the blank 1-hexadecene and unaerated alpha-olefin feed did not interfere with the olefin analysis. 

Jack Halpern I want to ask Dr. Dessy two questions. Sometime ago we looked at substantially the same reaction (i.e., decomposition of methoxycarbonyl mercuric acetate) in aqueous solution, and we found also that this decomposition is catalyzed by hydrogen ion and by chloride ion. The rate is first-order in (H+), but we found that in addition to a path first-order in (Cl-) there were also appreciable contributions from higher order paths, certainly second-order and possibly also third. This implies that the process is further aided by coordination of more than one halide to the metal. I wondered whether there were any corresponding indications in these solvent systems. 

Metal-Oxygen Compounds. The addition of metal-oxygen compounds to olefins is exemplified by the addition of mercuric acetate to olefins in hydroxylic solvents (83). Both cis and trans adducts may be obtained depending upon the structure of the olefin. Where trans addition is hindered by substitutents, cis addition appears to occur (3, 94). Ward and Henry have obtained kinetic evidence that the addition of mercuric acetate to ethylene in aqueous solution involves the prior formation of a 7r-ethylene complex. Presumably, trans addition results from attack by external solvent or ion, and cis addition results from ligand addition (101),... 

The bishydrazones of the 1,2-diketones from inositols have also been converted into triazoles.222,223 The conversion of arylosazones into the corresponding osotriazoles requires the presence of an oxidant, and it is obvious that simple removal of aniline from the osazone, as suggested by the equation, is not involved. In addition to copper(II) sulfate, the reagent most commonly used, other oxidizing heavy-metal salts, such as ferric sulfate and chloride,224 and mercuric acetate,223 have been used, as well as halogens225 and nitro-sulfonates.226 The osazone acetates are converted into osotriazoles by nitrous acid,227 which decomposes the unacetylated osazones to the aldosuloses228 and the osazone formazans are cyclized with warm... 

Mercuric chloride in methanol also reacts with compounds 8 (in dichloro-methane), forming colorless mercury complexes, which can in turn be reconverted to the cyanines 8. Such addition compounds are stable only as solids, decomposing rather quickly in solution. Mercuric acetate in methanol reacts rapidly with the formation of elemental mercury, where by the phosphamethin-cyanines are destroyed uniform products from this reaction have not as yet been isolated. 

Oxymercuration-reduction of alkenes preparation of alcohols Addition of water to alkenes by oxymercuration-reduction produces alcohols via Markovnikov addition. This addition is similar to the acid-catalysed addition of water. Oxymercuration is regiospecific and auft -stereospecific. In the addition reaction, Hg(OAc) bonds to the less substituted carbon, and the OH to the more substituted carbon of the double bond. For example, propene reacts with mercuric acetate in the presence of an aqueous THF to give a hydroxy-mercurial compound, followed by reduction with sodium borohydride (NaBH4) to yield 2-propanol. 

Mechanism. The reaction is analogous to the addition of bromine molecules to an alkene. The electrophilic mercury of mercuric acetate adds to the double bond, and forms a cyclic mercurinium ion intermediate rather than a planer carbocation. In the next step, water attacks the most substituted carbon of the mercurinium ion to yield the addition product. The hydroxymercurial compound is reduced in situ using NaBH4 to give alcohol. The removal of Hg(OAc) in the second step is called demer-curation. Therefore, the reaction is also known as oxymercuration-demercuration. 

Addition of alcohol to alkenes hy alkoxymercuration-reduction produces ethers via Markovnikov addition. This addition is similar to the acid-catalysed addition of an alcohol. For example, propene reacts with mercuric acetate in aqueous THF, followed hy reduction with NaBFl4, to yield methyl propyl ether. The second step is known as demercuration, where Flg(OAc) is removed hy NaBH4. Therefore, this reaction is also called alkoxymercura-tion-demercuration. The reaction mechanism is exactly the same as the oxymercuration-reduction of alkenes. 

A. J. Balard,9 in 1821, also prepared hypobromous acid in a similar manner, namely, by the gradual addition of mercuric oxide of bromine water, and thoroughly shaking the mixture after each addition. Further, quantities of bromine and mercuric oxide can be added until the yellow fluid contains between 6 and 7 parts of HOBr per 100 c.c. The mercuric oxide can be replaced by silver oxide, silver or mercuric nitrate, mercuric acetate, etc. The soln. with 6-7 parts of HOBr per 100 c.c. decomposes at 30°, but more dil. soln. when distilled under ordinary atm. press, give a distillate of bromine followed by a straw-yellow fraction which is a dil. aq. soln. of hypobromous acid. The decomposition is not so pronounced if it be conducted at 40° under a press, of, say, 50 mm. of mercury. 

Olefins can be hydrated quickly under mild conditions in high yields without rearrangement products by the use of oxymercuration144 (addition of oxygen and mercury) followed by in situ treatment with sodium borohydride145 (2-24). For example, 2-methyl-1-butene treated with mercuric acetate,146 followed by NaBH4, gave 2-methy 1-2-butanol ... 

Figure 17-8 Apparatus for coulometric titration of cyclohexene with Br2. The solution contains cyclohexene, 0.15 M KBr, and 3 mM mercuric acetate in a mixed solvent of acetic acid, methanol, and water. Mercuric acetate catalyzes the addition of Br2 to the olefin. [Adapted from D. H. Evans, Coulometric Titration of Cyclohexene with Bromine," J. Chem. Ed. 1968,45,88.]... 

Mohrle and Mayer240,241 oxidized the 3-piperidinopropylamine (182) with mercuric acetate-EDTA reagent to obtain the pyrido[l,2-u]pyrimidine (184). Oxidation of the N-monomethyl and N,JV-dimethyl derivatives of 182 resulted in the N-methyl and A,A-dimethypiperidone derivatives of 185.241 If the reactions were carried out without the addition of EDTA, the perhydropyrido[l,2-a]pyrimidine(l83) and its N-methyl derivative also could be isolated from the reaction mixture.241 The pyrido[l,2-a]pyrimidine (184) was also prepared from the piperidone (186).242 The oxidative cyclization was successfully when applied to the piperidinopropionamides (187) to prepare the pyrido[l,2-a]pyrimidines(188) in addition to 2-oxopiperidino-propionamides.243... 

---