Abstract: The attack of dichlorocarbene on dialkylmercurials in which the alkyl function was ethyl, isopropyl, n-propyl, sec-butyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, 2-methylbutyl, n-amyl, isoamyl, cyclohexylmethyl, and cyclopropyl was carried out with the result that the ratio of@-CH to C- Hg insertion increased from 0 to 9 as the 0-CH bond went from primary to tertiary. In two individual cases small amounts of products were isolated which corresponded to bis-/3- ...