Complexation of 4,4′-di(tert-butyl)-5-ethynyl-2,2′-bithiazole with mercury(II) ion:: Synthesis, structures and analytical applications

Two new mononuclear mercury(11) alkynyl complexes containing substituted bithiazole unit [R-C C-HgMe] (2) and [R-C C-Hg-C C-R] (3) (R = 4,4'-di(tert-butyl)-2,2'-bithiazol-5-yl) were prepared in good yields by mercuration of 4,4'-di(let l-butyl)-5-ethytiyl212'-bithiazole (1) at room temperature via the dehydrohalogenation reaction of MeHgCl and HgCl2 with terminal acetylene R-C CH. The structures of the title compounds were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy, FAB mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography and luminescence spectra. A new protocol for derivatization of inorganic and organic mercury(II) ions to mono- and dialkynyl mercury(II) compounds followed by extraction into dichloromethane is suggested, which can be effectively analyzed by HPLC technique using LTV detection. The proposed procedure can offer a new opportunity for the simultaneous determination of inorganic Hg(II) and MeHg(II) in aqueous solutions. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.