The facile reaction of azulene with mercuric chloride to form a bis (ch1oromercuri) azulene had been observed earlier,'but the derivative was very insoluble in organic solvents and attempts to establish the positions occupied by the chloromercuri groups through displacement reactions were unsuccessful (except for the formation of l-acetylazulene in low yield). The analogous reaction with mercuric acetate has been found to give a ...
