Diphenylmercury is the
organomercury compound with the formula . It is a white solid.
The compound is of historic interest as a particularly stable
organometallic compound
Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and ...
but it finds few uses because of its high toxicity.
Preparation
Commercially available, this compound can be prepared by several routes. It results from treating
phenylmercury acetate with
sodium stannite, by the reaction of mercuric halides with
phenylmagnesium bromide
Phenylmagnesium bromide, with the simplified formula , is a magnesium-containing organometallic compound. It forms colorless crystals. It is commercially available as a solution in diethyl ether or tetrahydrofuran (THF). Phenylmagnesium bromide i ...
, and the reaction of
bromobenzene with
sodium amalgam.
Safety
Diphenylmercury is highly toxic.
References
{{Mercury compounds
Organomercury compounds
Phenyl compounds