An electrospray mass spectrometric study of methylmercury(II) nitrogen base derivatives and their ligand exchange reactions

Electrospray mass spectra have been observed for solutions of a number of methylmercury(II) complexes of the type [MeHgL]+ (L= neutral nitrogen base, e.g. N-methylpyrazoles, bis(pyridin-2-yl)methane, etc.) and PhHg(II) complexes of creatinine and in all cases the intact ion was observed. Electrospray mass spectrometry is a convenient technique with which to investigate ligand exchange reactions in solution, and the reactlons of the N-methylpyrazole complex [MeHg(C4H6N2)]+ have been studied with a variety of reagents including other nitrogen bases, phosphines and phosphine sulfides and selenides.