Complexes of phenylmercury(II) with dicyandiamide

Organomercury derivatives of dicyandiamide have been used in studies of the distribution and metabolism of mercury in animals and as fungicides for the protection of seed grain. Both methylmercury and phenylmercury compounds were present in grain that caused 459 deaths in Iraq. Phenylmercuric acetate reacts with dicyandiamide,(H2N)2CNCN, in ethanol in the presence of sodium ethoxide to give complexes whose structures are shown to be PhHgN(H)C(NH2)NCN and (PhHgNH)2CNCN from analysis of 1H NMR and IR spectra. The 2:1 complex is also formed on heating an ethanol solution of PhHgN(H)C(NH2)NCN, and on neutralization of an acidic solution of phenylmercuric acetate and dicyandiamide in water, and on neutralization of an acidic solution of PhHgN(H)C(NH2)NCN in water.