Mercuration

Mercuricacetate cation. Hg+ OAC, is a weak electrophile which substitutes in ortho and para position of phenol. Usually donating product is O–acetoxy mercuriphenol. The mercuric compound can be converted to iodophenol.

Miscellaneous reaction

(i) Reaction with Zn dust

(ii) Oxidation

(iii) Condensation with phthalic anhydride

Mechanism of some important reactions

1. Reimer Tieman reaction

The electrophile is the dichloro carbene, :CCl₂, formation of carbene is an example of
α - elimination.

(i)
(ii)
(iii)

2. Kolbe’s reaction

Mechanism