Mercury-ammonia complexes

The ammonium salts seem to form a special series of a different type to most of the other salts. This is connected with the general tendency of ammonium salts to form complex compounds, which in turn depends upon the peculiar properties of nitrogen—the mercury-ammonia compounds can be cited in illustration. Similar remarks apply to the ferro- and ferri-cyanides, etc. 

The silver chloride (AgCl) is dissolved as the stable silver-ammonia-complex ion [Ag(NH3) 2+] is formed. Meanwhile, the mercury II chloride (HgCl2) is undergoing oxidation and reduction at the same time Mercury metal (Hg) and mercury II amidochloride (HgNH2Cl) are formed and appear, respectively, black and gray in color ... 

The mercury substances are filtered, and silver ions (Ag+) are detected in the filtrate by adding hydrochloric acid (HC1), which releases the silver ions from the silver-ammonia-complex ion [Ag(NH3) 2+], allowing the silver ions to combine with chloride ions (Cl") to form silver chloride precipitate (AgCl) ... 

The covalent character of mercury compounds and the corresponding abiUty to complex with various organic compounds explains the unusually wide solubihty characteristics. Mercury compounds are soluble in alcohols, ethyl ether, benzene, and other organic solvents. Moreover, small amounts of chemicals such as amines, ammonia (qv), and ammonium acetate can have a profound solubilizing effect (see COORDINATION COMPOUNDS). The solubihty of mercury and a wide variety of mercury salts and complexes in water and aqueous electrolyte solutions has been well outlined (5). 

At this point, the silver and mercury(I) chlorides remain as precipitates. When aqueous ammonia is added to the solid mixture, the silver precipitate dissolves as the soluble complex ion Ag(NH3)2+ forms ... 

Picric acid, in common with several other polynitrophenols, is an explosive material in its own right and is usually stored as a water-wet paste. Several dust explosions of dry material have been reported [1]. It forms salts with many metals, some of which (lead, mercury, copper or zinc) are rather sensitive to heat, friction or impact. The salts with ammonia and amines, and the molecular complexes with aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. are, in general, not so sensitive [2], Contact of picric acid with concrete floors may form the friction-sensitive calcium salt [3], Contact of molten picric acid with metallic zinc or lead forms the metal picrates which can detonate the acid. Picrates of lead, iron, zinc, nickel, copper, etc. should be considered dangerously sensitive. Dry picric acid has little effect on these metals at ambient temperature. Picric acid of sufficient purity is of the same order of stability as TNT, and is not considered unduly hazardous in regard to sensitivity [4], Details of handling and disposal procedures have been collected and summarised [5],... 

Armannsson [659] has described a procedure involving dithizone extraction and flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the determination of cadmium, zinc, lead, copper, nickel, cobalt, and silver in seawater. In this procedure 500 ml of seawater taken in a plastic container is exposed to a 1000 W mercury arc lamp for 5-15 h to break down metal organic complexes. The solution is adjusted to pH 8, and 10 ml of 0.2% dithizone in chloroform added. The 10 ml of chloroform is run off and after adjustment to pH 9.5 the aqueous phase is extracted with a further 10 ml of dithizone. The combined extracts are washed with 50 ml of dilute ammonia. To the organic phases is added 50 ml of 0.2 M-hydrochloric acid. The phases are separated and the aqueous portion washed with 5 ml of chloroform. The aqueous portion is evaporated to dryness and the residue dissolved in 5 ml of 2 M hydrochloric acid (solution A). Perchloric acid (3 ml) is added to the organic portion, evaporated to dryness, and a further 2 ml of 60% perchloric acid added to ensure that all organic matter has been... 

In these procedures 1 litre of seawater was shaken with 60 mg charcoal for 15 min. Complexing agents were added in amounts of 1 mg, dissolved in 1 ml of acetone. The pH was 5.5, or it was adjusted to 8.5 by addition of 0.1 M ammonia. The charcoal was filtered off and irradiated. Results of three sets of experiments with charcoal alone, charcoal in the presence of dithizone, and charcoal in the presence of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate are compared. The following elements are adsorbed to an extent from 75 to 100% silver, gold, cerium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, europium, iron, mercury, lanthanum, scandium, uranium, and zinc. The amount of sodium is reduced to about 10 6, bromine to about 10 5, and calcium to about 10 2. 

Catalytic forms of copper, mercury and silver acetylides, supported on alumina, carbon or silica and used for polymerisation of alkanes, are relatively stable [3], In contact with acetylene, silver and mercury salts will also give explosive acetylides, the mercury derivatives being complex [4], Many of the metal acetylides react violently with oxidants. Impact sensitivities of the dry copper derivatives of acetylene, buten-3-yne and l,3-hexadien-5-yne were determined as 2.4, 2.4 and 4.0 kg m, respectively. The copper derivative of a polyacetylene mixture generated by low-temperature polymerisation of acetylene detonated under 1.2 kg m impact. Sensitivities were much lower for the moist compounds [5], Explosive copper and silver derivatives give non-explosive complexes with trimethyl-, tributyl- or triphenyl-phosphine [6], Formation of silver acetylide on silver-containing solders needs higher acetylene and ammonia concentrations than for formation of copper acetylide. Acetylides are always formed on brass and copper or on silver-containing solders in an atmosphere of acetylene derived from calcium carbide (and which contains traces of phosphine). Silver acetylide is a more efficient explosion initiator than copper acetylide [7],... 

In caustic soda or caustic potash solution, mercury(TI) iodide forms complex salts, Na2Hgl4 and K2Hgl4, respectively. Alkaline solution of this complex in excess potassium hydroxide is known as Nessler s reagent, used to analyze ammonia. The reaction of Nessler s reagent with ammonia may be written as ... 

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