The octanol/water distribution of mercury compounds.

Lipophilicity plays an important role in the biological action of mercurials. The distribution of one inorganic and five organic mercury compounds was determined in an n-octanol/water system. Lipophilicity decreased in the order CH3HgCl, bromomercurihydroxypropane, HgCl2, chlormerodrin, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (PCMB), p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid (PCMBS). The toxicity of mercurials, as reported in the literature, appears to parallel their lipophilicity.