Containing Mercury Chains

Inner-Transition Metal to Transition and Inner-Transition Metal Bond 105 9.2.12. Inner Transition Metal Complexes With Chains of Metal Atoms 9.2.12.3. Compounds Containing Mercury Chains... 

An excess of metallic mercury reacts with AsF5 in liquid S02 to form alchemist s gold (Hg2,86AsF6 or Hg2.82(AsF6)o.94), which contains infinite chains of mercury atoms in two... 

Oxidation of Hg with AsF5 gives species containing linear Hg2+3 and Hg2+4 ions, culminating in a metallic compound Hg0 33AsF6, which contains linear chains of mercury atoms. 

In the case of halogen-substituted hydrocarbons the principal method used is the mercuration of the sulphinic acid, and not the hydrocarbon itself, whilst the method acts equally well with nitrobenzene. The nitrotoluenes when mercurated by mercuric oxide in the presence of sodium hydroxide yield compounds containing mercury in the side chain, but with mercuric acetate at 140° C., in the absence of a solvent, the mercury enters the ring. If nitrotoluene sulphinic acids are used as starting-points, the acid group is replaced b mercury by prolonged boiling with 50 per cent, aqueous alcoholic mercuric chloride. 

Although the oxide dissolves in adds, it is only weakly basic. In aqueous solution, Hg(II) salts that are ionized (e.g. Hg(N03)2 and HgS04) are hydrolysed to a considerable extent and many basic salts are formed, e.g. HgO HgCl2 and [0(HgCl)3]Cl (a substituted oxonium salt). Solid Hg(OH)2 is unknown. However, [Hg(0H)][N03] H2O (hydrated basic mercury(II) nitrate ) can be isolated. In the solid state, this contains zigzag chains (23.90) to which H2O molecules are loosely connected. 

Mercury In nature, mercury exists in three chemical states—elemental metallic, divalent, and trivalent. Divalent inorganic mercury may be reduced to metallic mercury or may be converted to dimethyl mercury by anaerobic bacteria and enter the food chain by fish uptake. Nonoccupational exposure to mercury can result from the burning of fossil fuels that contain mercury and consumption of food that contains organic mercury. 

Sulfide ores usually contain small amounts of mercury, arsenic, selenium, and tellurium, and these impurities volatilize during the ore treatment. All the volatilized impurities, with the exception of mercury, are collected in the dust recovery systems. On account of its being present in low concentrations, mercury is not removed by such a system and passes out with the exit gases. The problem of mercury contamination is particularly pertinent to zinc plants since the sulfidic ores of zinc contain traces of mercury (20-300 ppm). The mercury traces in zinc sulfide concentrates volatilize during roasting and contaminate the sulfuric acid that is made from the sulfur dioxide produced. If the acid is then used to produce phosphatic fertilizers, this may lead to mercury entering the food chain as a contaminant. Several processes have been developed for the removal of mercury, but these are not yet widely adopted. 

When the mercury-containing equipment is improperly disposed of on land, the mercury will eventually leachate out from the waste equipment. Once released into the environment, mercury remains there indefinitely, contaminating the soil, sediment, and groundwater. This contamination eventually enters the food chain, exposing local populations to mercury s harmful effects.2... 

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