Organomercury Compounds. IV. Infrared Spectra, Structures, and Thermal Decomposition of Mercuric Arylsulphinates

The structures of mercuric benzenesulphinate and p-toluenesulphinate have been investigated by infrared spectroscopy, and it has been shown that the arylsulphinate ions are coordinated to mercury through sulphur and not through oxygen. Thermal decomposition of the benzenesulphinate, at the melting point or in toluene, gives good yields of diphenylmercury. No di-p-tolylmercury is obtained from pyrolysis of the p-toluenesulphinate in absence of a solvent, but a moderate yield is obtained when the compound is decomposed in boiling toluene.