1H NMR Rate Constants and Mercury-199 FT NMR Equilibrium Constants Involved in Disulfide Cleavage by Methylmercury

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00416a006

A 1H NMR kinetic investigation of the cleavage of dimethyl disulfide with methylmercury acetate and triethyl phosphite is described.The metal-assisted -SS- bond rupture is first order in both CH3Hg^II and CH3SSCH3.Mercury-199 FT NMR has been employed to measure the equilibrium constants for complexation of CH3HgOAc with CH3SSCH3 and P(OEt)3.A concomitant electrophilic and nucleophilic mechanism for -SS- bond cleavage is suggested that involves attack by P(OEt)3 on the -SS- ?^* orbital of the CH3Hg^II complex of CH3SSCH3.