Oxymercuration: Alcohols from alkenes using Hg(OAc)2 and Water
Description: Alkenes treated with mercuric acetate [ Hg(OAc)2 ] and water will be hydrated to form alcohols, after addition of NaBH4.
Content available for Reactionguide members only. Not a member? Get access for about 30 cents / day!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice. Thanks for the radical mech in reduction step, though should it be Hg(l) instead of Hg(s)?
I point out to my students that the environmental impact of Hg(OAc)2 must be balanced against improved yield and avoidance of C+ rearrangements.
Ha!. Yes, I guess it should be Hg(liquid). The times I’ve done it, it formed this beautiful little grey dispersion, it must have stuck in my mind as a solid & I forgot it’s actually a liquid.
it is very helpful for student.thanks to you
Kudos dude. Needed this earlier in the course but sleep is overrated anyway.