The reaction of phosphorus ylide, acetylmethylenetriparatolylphosphorane (L) with HgX2 (X = Cl, Br, I and NO3) in equimolar ratios using acetone and dimethylformamide as solvents leads to binuclear products. 31P NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the stoichiometry and stability of a HgX2 complex with CH3COCHP(p-tolyl)3 (L) in binary acetone–dimethylformamide mixtures of varying composition. In all cases studied, the variation of 31P NMR chemical shift with the [HgX2]/[L] mole ratio indicated the formation of 1:1 complexes. The formation constants of the resulting complexes were evaluated from computer fitting of the mole ratio data to an equation that relates the observed chemical shifts to the formation constant. In all mercuric salts used, the stabilities of the resulting 1:1 complexes varied in the order Hg(NO3)2[HgCl2[HgBr2[HgI2. It was found that, in the case of all complexes, an increase in the percentage of dimethylformamide in the solvent mixtures significantly decreases the stability of the complexes.
