Preparation and properties of some triphenyllead carboxylates

The triphenyllead carboxylates, Ph₃PbO₂CR (R = C₆F₅, 4-MeOC₆F₄, 4-EtOC₆F₄, 2, 4-(NO₂)₂C₆H₃, or C₆Cl₅) have been obtained by reactions of triphenyllead acetate with the appropriate carboxylic acids. The first four compounds are monomeric with unidentate carboxylate coordination in chloroform, and all are probably polymeric with bridging carboxylate groups in the solid state. The compounds, Ph₃PbO₂CR (R = C₆F₅, 4-RieOC₆F₄, or 4-EtOC₆F₄), undergo decarboxylation in boiling pyridine to give the corresponding polyfluoroaryltriphenyllead derivatives, but the other carboxylates do not decompose in a similar manner. The phenylmercuric carboxylates, PhHgO₂CR (R = 4-MeOC₆F₄ or 4-EtOC₆F₄), have also been prepared and shown to decarboxylate to the corresponding 4-alkoxytetrafluorophenylphenylmercurials. Cleavage of the compounds, Ph₃PbR (R = C₅F₆ or 4-1MeOC₆F₄), with pentafluorobenzoic acid yields diphenyllead bispentafluorobenzoate.