Organomercury-nitrogen compounds

Methylmercury(II) azide, MeHgN3 [131], and trifluoromethylmercury(II) azide, 28, CF3HgN3, and trifluoromercury(II) cyanate, CF3HgNCO, 29 [132], are all self-organized supramolecular compounds. Methylmercury azide forms layers (Hg-N 2.22 A, Hg- -N 2.87, 2.95, 3.21, and 3.17 A), trifluoromethylmercury azide forms centrosymmetric dimers linked into layers (Hg-N 2.02 A, Hg- - -N 2.74 A) and the cyanate forms dimers (Hg-N 2.03 A, Hg- - -N 2.88 A) connected by Hg- - -O interactions. 

In the cyanide, MeHgCN, the Hg- -N intermolecular distances (3.15 and 3.26 A), are comparable with the value expected for the Hg- - -N van der Waals distance (3.2 A), but the reciprocal orientation of the molecules suggests interaction and selforganization [133]. 

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Ealy [ 75 ] also used conversion to alkyl mercury iodides for the gas chromatographic determination of organomercury compounds in benzene extracts of water. The iodides were then determined by gas chromatograph of the benzene extract on a glass column packed with 5% of cyclohexane-succinate on Anakron ABS (70-80 mesh) and operated at 200 °C with nitrogen (56 ml min-1) as carrier gas and electron capture detection. Good separation of chromatographic peaks was obtained for the mercury compounds as either chlorides, bromides, or iodides. The extraction recoveries were monitored by the use of alkylmer-cury compounds labelled with 203 Hg. 

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