Mercury diethyl, decomposition

Diphenylacetic acid has been obtained by the reduction of benzilic acid with hydriodic acid and red phosphorus 1 by the treatment of phenylbromoacetic acid with benzene and zinc dust,2 or with benzene and aluminum chloride 3 by the hydrolysis of diphenylacetonitrile 4 by heating a-diphenyldichloroethyl-ene with alcoholic sodium ethylate 5 by heating benzilic acid 6 from diphenylmethane, mercury diethyl, sodium and carbon dioxide 7 by the oxidation of a,a,5,S-tetraphenyl- 8-butine 8 by the decomposition of some complex derivatives obtained from diphenylketene 9 by the hydrolysis of diphenyl-5,5-hydan-toin 10 by the treatment of diphenylbromoacetic acid with copper 11 by the oxidation of dichlorodiphenylcrotonic acid.12... 

The pyrolysis of diethyl mercury has been studied using a nitrogen carrier flow system87 both in the presence and absence of toluene. The experimental conditions used were total pressure = 10+1 torr with 0.4 torr partial pressure of toluene, alkyl pressure 1-10 x 10 2 torr, decomposition 10-75 % and contact time 0.1-0.3 sec. The presence of toluene had no effect on the rate coefficient, the observed ethane/ethylene ratio ( 1) or the C4/C2 ratio ( 4). These ratios were essentially independent of temperature. 

The colorless zinc compound, Zn(CisH6)2, which sublimes at 160° under partial decomposition, is obtained in small yield from zinc chloride and cyclopentadienyl sodium in diethyl ether however, the less stable cadmium compound decomposes, with separation of cadmium, under these conditions (55). The mercury compound, Hg(CsH5)2, is produced in 20% yield by the action of the sodium derivative on mercuric chloride in tetrahydrofuran (215). The action of cyclopentadiene on the complex K2(HgI ) in aqueous alkaline solution results in the precipitation of a mixture of CsHsHgl and Hg(CsH6)2, from which the latter compound may be obtained in good yield by extraction with a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and petroleum ether (62). It forms pale yellow crystals which begin to decompose at about 60° and which melt at 83-85°. The compound is readily soluble in most solvents it decomposes slowly even when kept in the dark at room temperature it is insoluble in water and reacts with neither water nor bases. On the other hand, decomposition occurs in dilute hydrochloric acid. It converts ferric chloride to ferrocene quantitatively, and it yields an adduct with maleic anhydride (215). 

All the compounds of the type R2Hg are liquids the methyl and ethyl derivatives are volatile at ordinary temperatures, and are said to be very poisonous. Mercury dimethyl, diethyl, and di-n-propyl may be distilled under ordinary pressure without decomposition mercury di-isopropyl, di-n-butyl, di-isobutyl and di-sec-butyl, have only been distilled under reduced pressure mercury di-tert-butyl and -tert-amyl show considerable decomposition even when distilled at 5 mm. mercury di-isoamyi also undergoes decomposition when distilled in vacuo, but is volatile in steam, whilst mercury di-sec-octyl cannot be distilled at all, since it decomposes even at 3 mm. 

EXPLOSION and FIRE CONCERNS Dimethyl and diethyl mercury are easily flammable when exposed to heat or flame contact with strong oxidizing agents, such as chlorine, may cause fires and explosions decomposition to flammable and explosive hydrocarbon gases will occur at elevated temperatures toxic gases and vapors, such as toxic mercury fumes and carbon monoxide, may be released in a fire use carbon dioxide, dry chemical, or foam for firefighting purposes. 

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