Organosilicon chemistry. Part IX. Reaction of bis(trimethylsilyl)mercury with some polyfluoro-olefins

Abstract

Bis(trimethylsilyl)mercury reacts readily under u.v. irradiation with chlorotrifluoroethylene to give initially the 1 : 1-adduct trimethylsilyl-(1-chloro-1,2,2-trifluoro-2-trimethylsilylethyl)mercury, which loses mercury and fluorotrimethylsilane to give a mixture of cis and trans-2-chloro-1,2-difluorovinyltrimethylsilane. Trimethyltrifluorovinyl-silane and chlorotrimethylsilane are also formed, but by another route. The 1 :1-adduct has been identified spectroscopically and by its reactions with sodium stannite and with bromine. Bis(trimethylsilyl)mercury reacts more slowly under similar conditions with trifluoroethylene, and the reaction may be non-regiospecific.