Formation of ortho-cyano-aminothiophenolate ligands with versatile binding modes via facile carbon-sulfur bond cleavage of 2-aminobenzothiazoles at mercury(II) centres.

Addition of 2-aminobenzothiazole and substituted derivatives to mercuric acetate in warm ethanol leads to the high yield formation of [Hg{SC6H3XN(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]N)}]n resulting from loss of hydrogen and sulfur-carbon bond cleavage. Addition of phosphines affords a series of complexes in which the new ortho-cyano-aminothiophenolate ligands adopt three different binding modes.