Dimethyl mercury
- Thread starter fallenangel
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I wouldn't. Dimethyl mercury is extremely poisonous. There are several compounds, not nearly as toxic, that can be used instead.
The following is from Wikipedia:
"Dimethylmercury currently has few applications because of the risks involved. As with many methyl-organometallics, it is a methylating agent that can donate its methyl groups to an organic molecule; however, the development of less toxic nucleophiles such as dimethylzinc, trimethylaluminium, and Grignard reagents (organomagnesium halides), has essentially rendered this compound obsolete in organic chemistry. It was also studied for reactions involving bonding methylmercury cations to target molecules, forming potent bactericides, but methylmercury's bioaccumulation and ultimate toxicity has led it to be largely abandoned in favor of the less toxic ethylmercury and diethylmercury compounds, which perform a similar function without the bioaccumulation hazard.
In toxicology, it still finds limited use as a reference toxin. It is also used to calibrate NMR instruments for detection of mercury (δ 0 ppm for 199Hg NMR), although diethylmercury and less toxic mercury salts are now preferred.[8][9][10]"
The following is from Wikipedia:
"Dimethylmercury currently has few applications because of the risks involved. As with many methyl-organometallics, it is a methylating agent that can donate its methyl groups to an organic molecule; however, the development of less toxic nucleophiles such as dimethylzinc, trimethylaluminium, and Grignard reagents (organomagnesium halides), has essentially rendered this compound obsolete in organic chemistry. It was also studied for reactions involving bonding methylmercury cations to target molecules, forming potent bactericides, but methylmercury's bioaccumulation and ultimate toxicity has led it to be largely abandoned in favor of the less toxic ethylmercury and diethylmercury compounds, which perform a similar function without the bioaccumulation hazard.
In toxicology, it still finds limited use as a reference toxin. It is also used to calibrate NMR instruments for detection of mercury (δ 0 ppm for 199Hg NMR), although diethylmercury and less toxic mercury salts are now preferred.[8][9][10]"
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