ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTIONS AT SACRIFICIAL ELECTRODES .7. SYNTHESIS OF SOME UNIQUE MERCURY(II) ALKOXIDES AND GLYCOLATES AND THEIR COORDINATION-COMPOUNDS

The electrochemical oxidation of malononitrile, diethyl malonate, ethyl cyanoacetate, cyanoacetamide, ethyl acetoacetate, and acetylacetone has been carried out in acetonitrile at sacrificial mercury anode using tetrabutylammonium chloride as supporting electrolyte. The products of these reactions have been identified by elemental analysis and IR spectral studies and are found to be mercury(II) alkoxides/glycolates. Electrochemical oxidation of these compounds in the presence of ligands like 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-bipyridyl yields coordination compounds of these alkoxides/glycolates. All these reactions have been found to proceed with a very high current efficiency.