CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES OF CHIRAL 1-(S)(DIMETHYLAMINO)ETHYL]PHENYL-C-1,N)MERCURY(II) COMPLEXES

The reaction of HgCl2 with enantiomerically pure o-lithio-(S)-(-)-dime thyl(1-phenylethyl)amine, (S)-ArLi, results in good yields of (S)-{HgC l[C6H4CH(Me)NMe(2)]}, 2a. The bromide (2b) and iodide (2c) analogs wer e prepared by metathetic reactions of 2a with NaBr and NaI, respective ly. Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic data on all three complexes show that the Hg atom in each is nonplanar with three different groups bonded to it, making it a stereocenter. Thus, with the chiral benzyli c carbon of the chelating amine ligand having the (S) absolute configu ration, these complexes form as only the (S)(C)(R)(Hg) diastereomers.