Polarographic and electrochemical reduction of organomercury compounds

The behavior of organomercury compounds such as 2-chloromercury-3-ethoxycyclononene and 2-chloromercury-3-ethoxycyclodecene has been investigated polarographically. They give two well defined waves in 50% dioxane-water: the first a one-electron reversible wave, followed by the second one-electron irreversible wave. Both are diffusion controlled. On the basis of polarographic and chemical data, it is suggested that the reduction first leads to the formation of an organomercury free radical which is further reduced to the corresponding ether and metallic mercury. The polarographic reduction provides a simple method for their analytical determinations