Mercury: Organometallic ChemistryBased in part on the article Mercury: Organometallic Chemistry by Richard C. Larock which appeared in the Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry, First Edition .

Abstract

Over the past 10 years, a wide range of new organomercury compounds have been prepared and their reactivity extensively studied, leading to interesting applications in organic synthesis. The solvomercuration of alkenes is still the most widely employed organometallic reaction of mercury, although there have been important advances in the use of the mercury‐mediated ring opening of cyclopropanes. Several structural investigations of organomercurials have been recently carried out providing detailed information on the connectivity of a wide range of mono‐ and polymercuric complexes. In this article, an overview of the most important advances on the organometallic chemistry of mercury between 1993 and 2003 will be provided.