Asymmetric fluoro-organomercurials. Part 2. The synthesis and characterisation of the fluorovinyl-mercurials RHgCX{double bond, long}CF2 (R = Ph, Fc; X = F, Cl): The single crystal X-ray structures of PhHgCF{double bond, long}CF2, FcHgCF{double bond, long}CF2 and FcHgCCl{double bond, long}CF2

The asymmetric fluorovinyl mercurials RHgCX{double bond, long}CF2 (R = Ph, Fc; X = F, Cl) have been prepared from RHgCl and LiCX{double bond, long}CF2, the later being derived from the reaction of HFC-134a, CF3CH2F (X = F) or HCFC-133a, CF3CH2Cl (X = Cl) and n-BuLi. All the complexes have been fully characterised by spectroscopic methods and, apart from PhHgCCl{double bond, long}CF2, the compounds are sufficiently stable to be investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, making this the first report of structurally characterised asymmetric fluorovinyl mercurial complexes of the type RHg(CX{double bond, long}CF2). In the solid state all of the structurally characterised complexes demonstrate asymmetric Hg-C distances and extensive intramolecular Hg⋯F and Hg⋯η2-arene interactions are observed. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.