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Chemistry LibreTexts

Oxymercuration-Reduction

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Alkenes do not undergo hydration upon treatment with water even at very high temperatures. There are two approaches to hydrating alkenes:

  1. Reaction of the alkene with water in the presence of a strong-acid catalyst.
  2. Using an indirect method, such as oxymercuration-reduction, also known as oxymercuration-demercuration or, simply, oxymercuration.

oxymercurationreduction1.png

net reaction:

oxymercurationreduction2.png

The protocol is carried out in two stages:

Stage 1: Oxymercuration: The alkene is treated with aqueous mercury (II) acetate, Hg(OAc)2, which converts the alkene into an organomercury compound (see organometallic compound).

Stage 2: Reduction (Demercuration): The organomercury compound is treated with a reducing agent, usually NaBH4, which converts the organomercury compound into an alcohol.

eg: Stage 1:

oxymercurationreduction3.png

The reaction is an anti addition.

Stage 2:

oxymercurationreduction4.png

Stage 1 + Stage 2 =

oxymercurationreduction5.png

The net reaction is a Markovnikov addition:

oxymercurationreduction6.png

see also hydroboration-oxidation


This page titled Oxymercuration-Reduction is shared under a All Rights Reserved (used with permission) license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Gamini Gunawardena via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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