Carbonylation of Organomercury Compounds: A General Synthesis of Carboxylic Acids and Esters

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00223a034

Organomercury compounds react with carbon monoxide in aqueous or alcoholic media to give good yields of carboxylic acids or esters.The carboxyl group is introduced selectively at the site of the carbon-mercury bond.Homogeneous group 9 and 10 metal complexes catalyze this carbonylation reaction, which yields mercury(0) as the inorganic byproduct.The mercuration-carbonylation sequence represents a general synthesis of carboxylic acids and esters.