Prepd by the action of sodium iodide on p-tolylmercuric chloride in ethanol: Whitmore et al., Org. Synth. 3, 65 (1923); by boiling p-bromotoluene with sodium amalgam in xylene in the presence of ethyl acetate as a catalyst: Dreher, Otto, Ann. 154, 171 (1870); LaCoste, Michaelis, ibid. 201, 246 (1880); Compt. Rend. 68, 1298 (1869).