Tetrakis(acetoxymercuri)methane is an organomercury compound with the formula . It was obtained in the investigation of Hofmann's base ([CHg4O(OH2)](OH)2), an ill-defined yellowish material produced by treatment of mercuric oxide with base in ethanol. Hofmann's base was once thought to have the formula . Eventually it was found to dissolve in carboxylic acids (RCO2H) to give colorless derivatives of the type . Several tetramercurimethane derivatives have now been characterized by X-ray crystallography.
Independent of studies on Hofmann's base, tetrakis(acetoxymercuri)methane was first prepared by reaction of the tetraborylmethane with mercuric acetate. References