Mercuric amidochloride

"Millon's base" redirects here. For the analytical reagent used to detect the presence of soluble proteins, see Millon's reagent.

Mercuric amidochloride

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
CAS Number	10124-48-8  Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	21106343  Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.030.292
PubChem CID	3032553
UNII	JD546Z56F0  N
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID70388766
InChI InChI=1S/ClH.Hg.H2N/h1H;;1H2/q;+2;-1/p-1 Y Key: WRWRKDRWMURIBI-UHFFFAOYSA-M Y InChI=1/ClH.Hg.H2N/h1H;;1H2/q;+2;-1/p-1/rClH2HgN/c1-2-3/h3H2 Key: WRWRKDRWMURIBI-CUFRCDTJAQ
SMILES Cl[Hg]N
Properties
Chemical formula	Hg(NH2)Cl
Molar mass	252.07 g·mol−1
Appearance	White powder of small prisms [1]
Odor	None [2]
Density	5.7 g/cm3 (at 20 °C (68 °F; 293 K)) [1]
Boiling point	Sublimes [3]
Solubility in water	1.4 g/L (cold[ quantify ]); decomposes if hot [1]
Solubility	Soluble in sodium thiosulfate or ammonium carbonate solution. [3] [2]
Solubility in nitric acid	soluble in warm
Solubility in hydrochloric acid	soluble in warm
Solubility in acetic acid	soluble in warm
Pharmacology
ATC code	D08AK01 ( WHO )
Hazards
GHS labelling: [4]
Pictograms
Signal word	Danger
Hazard statements	H300+H310+H330, H373, H410
Precautionary statements	P260, P262, P264, P270, P271, P273, P280, P284, P301+P310+P330, P302+P350+P310[ ? ], P304+P340+P310, P314, P362, P391, P403+P233, P405, P501
Flash point	Non-combustible
Threshold limit value (TLV)	0.025 mg/m3 [5] (TWA)
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)	86 mg/kg (rat, oral) 1325 mg/kg (rat, skin) [4]
LC50 (median concentration)	0.051 mg/L (inhalation, 4h, dust/mist) [4]
NIOSH (US health exposure limits): [6]
PEL (Permissible)	0.1 mg/m3 (TWA)
REL (Recommended)	0.1 mg/m3 (C, skin, as Hg)
IDLH (Immediate danger)	10 mg/m3 (as Hg)
Related compounds
Related compounds	Dimethylmercury Mercury(II) chloride Mercury(I) chloride Methylmercuric dicyanamide Phenylmercuric borate Phenylmercury acetate Phenylmercuric nitrate
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). N  verify  (what is  YN ?) Infobox references

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

Preparation and properties

It arises from the reaction of mercury(II) chloride and ammonia (Calomel reaction), where the resulting mercuric amidochloride is highly insoluble.^{[ citation needed ]}

It forms white crystals in the shape of small prisms. It has been described as having an earthy, metallic flavor. ^[2]

At the molecular level, it organizes as a zig-zag one-dimensional polymer (HgNH₂)_n with chloride counterions. ^{[7] [8]}

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

It is stable in air, but darkens on exposure to light. ^[9] It does not melt, even at dull red heat, instead subliming and decomposing to gaseous mercury, hydrogen chloride, and nitrogen oxides. ^{[3] [10]} Consequently sealed containers with this chemical may explode when heated. ^[11]

The substance is a lethal poison. ^[2] It is toxic by inhalation, ingestion or dermal absorption. In lesser cases,^{[ which? ]} it may instead cause dermatitis and skin lesions ^[9] or corrode the mucous membranes.^{[ failed verification ]}

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,^{[ when? ]} 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, against lesions on the body and near eyes, against bumblefoot infection on poultry, and as a disinfectant. ^{[9] [13]}

Chronic use of this medication can lead to systemic mercury poisoning. ^[9]

See also

• Merbromin, also known as "Mercurochrome", another antiseptic mercury compound
• Thiomersal, another antiseptic mercury compound

References

1. Weast, Robert C., ed. (1991) [1988]. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (1st student ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press. p. B-42. ISBN   0-8493-0740-6. LCCN   87-26820.
2. Hawley, Gessner G. (1981). "Mercury, ammoniated". The Condensed Chemical Dictionary (10th ed.). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold / Litton Educational. p. 657. ISBN   0-442-23244-6. LCCN   80-29636.
3. "Mercuric Chloride, Ammoniated" . The Merck Index . Royal Society of Chemistry.
4. Sigma-Aldrich Co., Mercury(II) amidochloride. Retrieved on 8 December 2025.
5. 2008 TLVs and BEIs : based on the documentation of the threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical agents & biological exposure indices . Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. 2008. p. 37. ISBN   978-1-882417-79-7 . Retrieved 8 December 2025.
6. "NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards".
7. Wells, A. F. (1984), Structural Inorganic Chemistry (5th ed.), Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 1166–1169, ISBN   0-19-855370-6
8. Lipscomb, W. N. (1951). "The structure of mercuric amidochloride, HgNH₂Cl". Acta Crystallographica. 4 (3): 266–8. Bibcode:1951AcCry...4..266L. doi:10.1107/S0365110X51000866.
9. 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.
10. Lewis, R.J. (1996). Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. Vol. 1–3 (9th ed.). New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold. p. 2121. ISBN   9780471288497.
11. North American transport authorities (2016). Emergency Response Guidebook . Neenah, WI: J. J. Keller. pp. 129, 240–241.
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. 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.