An organomercury enzyme activator as a versatile template for new organomercury(II) compounds encompassing homobimetallic (RHg/Hg) and heterobimetallic (RHg/Cd) compositions: Syntheses, photoluminescence and structures

A series of pale yellow imine-functionalized acetyloxy(4-(arylideneamino)phenyl)mercury(II) compounds (2–7) were obtained by the reactions of acetyloxy(4-aminophenyl)mercury(II) (1) with arylaldehydes in equimolar ratios in absolute ethanol under reflux conditions. Organomercury compounds 2–5 and 7, when treated with 1,5-diphenylthiocarbazone (dptc) in chloroform, formed dark-red (4-((E)-arylideneamino)phenyl)(((Z)-((E)-phenyldiazenyl)(2-phenylhydrazono)methyl)thio)mercury compounds (8–12) in alkaline medium. The reaction of 7 with a slight excess of mercuric chloride in anhydrous methanol led to the formation of the bimetallic compound (2-{[4-(acetyloxymercuryl)phenyl]iminomethyl}pyridine-κ2N,N′)dichloromercury(II) (7·HgCl2 = 13). Homobimetallic compound 18 can be obtained from the reaction of the organomercurio-ligand precursor, 2-[((4-chloromercuryl)phenyl)iminomethyl]pyridine (15) with HgCl2, followed by crystallization from DMSO. Analogous DMF adducted mercury(II) and cadmium(II) compounds, 19 and 20, were also synthesized from the reaction of (15) with MCl2 (M = Hg or Cd) when crystallized from DMF. These reactions gave access to novel bimetallic imine-functionalized chloro-compounds. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, and IR and 1H NMR spectroscopic studies. The solution state photophysical properties are also reported. The crystal structures of a polymeric organomercury compound (1)n, a dimeric imine-functionalized organomercury compound (3)2, a polymeric organomercurio-ligand (15)n, homobimetallic organomercury/mercury mixed compounds (18)n and (19)n, and a heterobimetallic organomercury/cadmium mixed compound (20)n are reported along with their supramolecular motifs.