Mercuric amidochloride

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Mercuric amidochloride
Mercuric-amidochloride-from-xtal-2000-3D-CM-ellipsoids.png
Names
IUPAC name
Mercuric azanide chloride
Other names
  • Aminomercuric chloride
  • Ammoniated mercuric chloride
  • Ammoniated mercury
  • Mercuric amidochloride
  • Mercury(II) amide chloride
  • Mercury(II) amidochloride
  • Mercury(II) azanide chloride
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.030.292 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
PubChem CID
UNII
  • InChI=1S/ClH.Hg.H2N/h1H;;1H2/q;+2;-1/p-1 Yes check.svgY
    Key: WRWRKDRWMURIBI-UHFFFAOYSA-M Yes check.svgY
  • InChI=1/ClH.Hg.H2N/h1H;;1H2/q;+2;-1/p-1/rClH2HgN/c1-2-3/h3H2
    Key: WRWRKDRWMURIBI-CUFRCDTJAQ
  • Cl[Hg]N
Properties
Hg(NH2)Cl
Molar mass 252.065 g/mol
AppearanceWhite powder of small prisms [1]
Odor None [2]
Density 5.7 g/cm3 [1]
Boiling point Sublimes [3]
1.4 g/L (cold); decomposes if hot [1]
Solubility Soluble in warm hydrochloric, nitric and acetic acids, sodium thiosulfate [3] or ammonium carbonate solution; insoluble in ethanol [2]
Pharmacology
D08AK01 ( WHO )
Hazards
GHS labelling: [4]
GHS-pictogram-skull.svg GHS-pictogram-silhouette.svg GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg
Danger
H300, H310, H330, H373, H410
P260, P262, P264, P270, P271, P273, P280, P284, P301+P316, P302+P352, P304+P340, P316, P319, P320, P321, P330, P361+P364, P391, P403+P233, P405, P501
Flash point Non-combustible
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
  • 86 mg/kg (rat, oral)
  • 1325 mg/kg (rat, skin)
  • 7.5 mg/kg (mouse, intraperitoneal)
  • 68 mg/kg (mouse, oral)
Related compounds
Related compounds
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
X mark.svgN  verify  (what is  Yes check.svgYX mark.svgN ?)

Mercuric amidochloride is an inorganic compound with the formula Hg(N H 2)Cl .

Contents

Preparation and properties

It arises from the reaction of mercury(II) chloride and ammonia (Calomel reaction), where the resulting mercuric amidochloride is highly insoluble.

It forms white crystals in the shape of small prisms. It tastes earthy and metallic, but is a deadly poison and should not be ingested. [2]

At the molecular level, it organizes as a zig-zag 1-dimensional polymer (HgNH2)n with chloride counterions. [5] [6]

Eli Lilly & Company - Ointment No. 8 - Ammoniated Mercury 10% Eli Lilly & Company - Ointment No. 8 - Ammoniated Mercury.jpg
Eli Lilly & Company - Ointment No. 8 - Ammoniated Mercury 10%

It is stable in air, but darkens on exposure to light. [7] It does not melt, even at dull red heat, instead subliming [3] and decomposing to gaseous mercury, hydrogen chloride, and nitrogen oxides. [8] Consequently sealed containers with this chemical may explode when heated. [9]

The substance is a deadly poison, [2] although not a carcinogen. [10] It is toxic unto lethality by inhalation, ingestion or dermal absorption. In lesser cases, it may instead cause dermatitis and skin lesions [7] or corrode the mucous membranes.[ failed verification ] If improperly handled, it may cause dangerous environmental pollution, in soil, water bodies, and air. [11]

Addition of base converts it into "Millon's base", named after Eugène Millon, which has the formula Hg2(OH)N·xH2O. A variety of related amido and nitrido materials with chloride, bromide, and hydroxide are known. [12] [ page needed ]

Uses

Before the toxicity of mercury was revealed, mercuric amidochloride, then known as "ammoniated mercury" or "white precipitate", was used as a topical skin antiseptic, especially for impetigo, dermatomycosis and other certain dermatoses. [13] It was also used for scaling in psoriasis, to treat pruritus ani, and against pinworm and ringworm infection (especially in dogs), against crab louse infestation, [7] against lesions on the body and near eyes, against bumblefoot infection on poultry, and as a disinfectant. [11] [13] Chronic use of this medication can lead to systemic mercury poisoning. Since less toxic medications are available now, to treat those conditions, there is no need to use mercuric amidochloride as a medication anymore. [7] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury(I) chloride</span> Chemical compound

Mercury(I) chloride is the chemical compound with the formula Hg2Cl2. Also known as the mineral calomel (a rare mineral) or mercurous chloride, this dense white or yellowish-white, odorless solid is the principal example of a mercury(I) compound. It is a component of reference electrodes in electrochemistry.

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Organomercury chemistry refers to the study of organometallic compounds that contain mercury. Typically the Hg–C bond is stable toward air and moisture but sensitive to light. Important organomercury compounds are the methylmercury(II) cation, CH3Hg+; ethylmercury(II) cation, C2H5Hg+; dimethylmercury, (CH3)2Hg, diethylmercury and merbromin ("Mercurochrome"). Thiomersal is used as a preservative for vaccines and intravenous drugs.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury (element)</span> Chemical element, symbol Hg and atomic number 80

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The metallic elements in the periodic table located between the transition metals to their left and the chemically weak nonmetallic metalloids to their right have received many names in the literature, such as post-transition metals, poor metals, other metals, p-block metals and chemically weak metals. The most common name, post-transition metals, is generally used in this article.

References

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  3. 1 2 3 "Mercuric Chloride, Ammoniated" . The Merck Index . Royal Society of Chemistry. As cited in "Mercuric Ammonium Chloride", Hazardous Substances Databank entry #1175.
  4. European Chemicals Agency. Entry 233-335-8 in Classification and Labeling database. Accessed 22 April 2024.
  5. Wells, A. F. (1984), Structural Inorganic Chemistry (5th ed.), Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 1166–1169, ISBN   0-19-855370-6
  6. Lipscomb, W. N. (1951). "The structure of mercuric amidochloride, HgNH2Cl". Acta Crystallographica. 4 (3): 266–8. Bibcode:1951AcCry...4..266L. doi:10.1107/S0365110X51000866.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Harvey, Stewart H. (1990). "Antimicrobial drugs" . In Gennaro, Alfonso R. (ed.). Pharmaceutical Sciences (18th ed.). Easton, Pennsylvania: Mack. p. 1172. ISBN   0-912-734-04-3. LCCN   60-53334.
  8. Lewis, R. J. (1996). Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 9th ed. Vols. 1-3. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold. p. 2121. As cited in HSDB.
  9. North American transport authorities (2016). Emergency Response Guidebook . Neenah, WI: J. J. Keller. pp. 129, 240–241.
  10. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (2008). Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices. Cincinnati, OH. p. 37. As cited in HSDB.
  11. 1 2 National Library of Medicine. "Ammoniated mercury" entry in PubChem (database). Accessed 22 April 2024
  12. Holleman, Arnold Frederik; Wiberg, Egon (2001), Wiberg, Nils (ed.), Inorganic Chemistry, translated by Eagleson, Mary; Brewer, William, San Diego/Berlin: Academic Press/De Gruyter, ISBN   0-12-352651-5
  13. 1 2 3 Aberer W, Gerstner G, Pehamberger H (September 1990). "Ammoniated mercury ointment: outdated but still in use". Contact Dermatitis. 23 (3): 168–71. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1990.tb04778.x. PMID   2149317. S2CID   20467204.