Mercury(II) sulfate

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Mercury(II) sulfate
HgSO4simple.svg
Names
Other names
Mercuric sulfate, Mercurypersulfate, Mercury Bisulfate [1]
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.029.083 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
EC Number
  • 231-992-5
PubChem CID
RTECS number
  • OX0500000
UNII
UN number 1645
  • InChI=1S/Hg.H2O4S/c;1-5(2,3)4/h;(H2,1,2,3,4)/q+2;/p-2
    Key: DOBUSJIVSSJEDA-UHFFFAOYSA-L
  • [O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-].[Hg+2]
Properties
HgSO4
Molar mass 296.653 g/mol
Appearancewhite monoclinic crystals
Odor odorless
Density 6.47 g/cm3, solid
450 °C (dec.) [2]
Decomposes in water to yellow mercuric subsulfate and sulfuric acid
Solubility soluble in hot H2SO4, NaCl solution
insoluble in alcohol, acetone, ammonia
78.1·10−6 cm3/mol
Structure
rhombic
Thermochemistry
−707.5 kJ mol−1 [3]
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
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704.svgHealth 3: Short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury. E.g. chlorine gasFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 1: Normally stable, but can become unstable at elevated temperatures and pressures. E.g. calciumSpecial hazards (white): no code
3
0
1
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 ?)

Mercury(II) sulfate, commonly called mercuric sulfate, is the chemical compound Hg S O 4. It is an odorless salt that forms white granules or crystalline powder. In water, it separates into an insoluble basic sulfate with a yellow color and sulfuric acid. [3]

Structure

Portion of structure of HgSO4 illustrating the distorted tetrahedral geometry at Hg (dark blue spheres). EntryWithCollCode100316.png
Portion of structure of HgSO4 illustrating the distorted tetrahedral geometry at Hg (dark blue spheres).

The anhydrous compound features Hg2+ in a highly distorted tetrahedral HgO4 environment. Two Hg-O distances are 2.22 Å and the others are 2.28 and 2.42 Å. [5] In the monohydrate, Hg2+ adopts a linear coordination geometry with Hg-O (sulfate) and Hg-O (water) bond lengths of 2.179 and 2.228 Å, respectively. Four weaker bonds are also observed with Hg---O distances >2.5 Å. [6]

History

In 1932, the Japanese chemical company Chisso Corporation began using mercury sulfate as the catalyst for the production of acetaldehyde from acetylene and water. Though it was unknown at the time, methylmercury is formed as side product of this reaction. Exposure and consumption of the mercury waste products, including methylmercury, that were dumped into Minamata Bay by Chisso are believed to be the cause of Minamata disease in Minamata, Japan. [7]

Production

Mercury sulfate can be produced by treating mercury with hot concentrated sulfuric acid: [8]

Hg + 2 H2SO4 → HgSO4 + SO2 + 2 H2O

Alternatively yellow mercuric oxide reacts also with concentrated sulfuric acid. [9]

Uses

Denigés' reagent

An acidic solution of mercury sulfate is known as Denigés' reagent. It was commonly used throughout the 20th century as a qualitative analysis reagent. If Denigés' reagent is added to a solution containing compounds that have tertiary alcohols, a yellow or red precipitate will form. [10]

Hydration reactions

Mercury compounds such as mercury sulfate and mercury(II) acetate are commonly used as catalysts in oxymercuration-demercuration, a type of electrophilic addition reaction which results in hydration of an unsaturated compound. The hydration of an alkene results in an alcohol that follows the regioselectivity predicted by Markovnikov's rule. For an alkyne, the result is an enol, which tautomerizes to give a ketone. [11] An example is the conversion of 2,5-dimethylhexyne-2,5-diol to 2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran using aqueous mercury sulfate without the addition of acid. [12]

Conversion of 2,5-dimethylhexyne-2,5-diol to 2,2,5,5-tetramethylte-trahydrofuran-3-one Rxn scheme for HgSO4.png
Conversion of 2,5-dimethylhexyne-2,5-diol to 2,2,5,5-tetramethylte-trahydrofuran-3-one

As previously mentioned, HgSO4 was used as the catalyst for the production of acetaldehyde from acetylene and water. [13]

Health issues

Inhalation of HgSO4 can result in acute poisoning: causing tightness in the chest, difficulties breathing, coughing and pain. Exposure of HgSO4 to the eyes can cause ulceration of conjunctiva and cornea. If mercury sulfate is exposed to the skin it may cause sensitization dermatitis. Lastly, ingestion of mercury sulfate will cause necrosis, pain, vomiting, and severe purging. Ingestion can result in death within a few hours due to peripheral vascular collapse. [1]

It was used in the late 19th century to induce vomiting for medical reasons. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acetylene</span> Hydrocarbon compound (HC≡CH)

Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2 and structure H−C≡C−H. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution. Pure acetylene is odorless, but commercial grades usually have a marked odor due to impurities such as divinyl sulfide and phosphine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alkyne</span> Hydrocarbon compound containing one or more C≡C bonds

In organic chemistry, an alkyne is an unsaturated hydrocarbon containing at least one carbon—carbon triple bond. The simplest acyclic alkynes with only one triple bond and no other functional groups form a homologous series with the general chemical formula CnH2n−2. Alkynes are traditionally known as acetylenes, although the name acetylene also refers specifically to C2H2, known formally as ethyne using IUPAC nomenclature. Like other hydrocarbons, alkynes are generally hydrophobic.

Acetaldehyde (IUPAC systematic name ethanal) is an organic chemical compound with the formula CH3 CHO, sometimes abbreviated as MeCHO. It is a colorless liquid or gas, boiling near room temperature. It is one of the most important aldehydes, occurring widely in nature and being produced on a large scale in industry. Acetaldehyde occurs naturally in coffee, bread, and ripe fruit, and is produced by plants. It is also produced by the partial oxidation of ethanol by the liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase and is a contributing cause of hangover after alcohol consumption. Pathways of exposure include air, water, land, or groundwater, as well as drink and smoke. Consumption of disulfiram inhibits acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of acetaldehyde, thereby causing it to build up in the body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron(II) sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Iron(II) sulfate (British English: iron(II) sulphate) or ferrous sulfate denotes a range of salts with the formula FeSO4·xH2O. These compounds exist most commonly as the heptahydrate (x = 7) but several values for x are known. The hydrated form is used medically to treat or prevent iron deficiency, and also for industrial applications. Known since ancient times as copperas and as green vitriol (vitriol is an archaic name for sulfate), the blue-green heptahydrate (hydrate with 7 molecules of water) is the most common form of this material. All the iron(II) sulfates dissolve in water to give the same aquo complex [Fe(H2O)6]2+, which has octahedral molecular geometry and is paramagnetic. The name copperas dates from times when the copper(II) sulfate was known as blue copperas, and perhaps in analogy, iron(II) and zinc sulfate were known respectively as green and white copperas.

In chemistry, a hydration reaction is a chemical reaction in which a substance combines with water. In organic chemistry, water is added to an unsaturated substrate, which is usually an alkene or an alkyne. This type of reaction is employed industrially to produce ethanol, isopropanol, and butan-2-ol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minamata disease</span> Severe neurological disease caused by mercury poisoning

Minamata disease is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning. Signs and symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death follow within weeks of the onset of symptoms. A congenital form of the disease affects fetuses in the womb, causing microcephaly, extensive cerebral damage, and symptoms similar to those seen in cerebral palsy.

In chemistry, an electrophile is a chemical species that forms bonds with nucleophiles by accepting an electron pair. Because electrophiles accept electrons, they are Lewis acids. Most electrophiles are positively charged, have an atom that carries a partial positive charge, or have an atom that does not have an octet of electrons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copper(II) sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Copper(II) sulfate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula CuSO4. It forms hydrates CuSO4·nH2O, where n can range from 1 to 7. The pentahydrate (n = 5), a bright blue crystal, is the most commonly encountered hydrate of copper(II) sulfate, while its anhydrous form is white. Older names for the pentahydrate include blue vitriol, bluestone, vitriol of copper, and Roman vitriol. It exothermically dissolves in water to give the aquo complex [Cu(H2O)6]2+, which has octahedral molecular geometry. The structure of the solid pentahydrate reveals a polymeric structure wherein copper is again octahedral but bound to four water ligands. The Cu(II)(H2O)4 centers are interconnected by sulfate anions to form chains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zinc sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Zinc sulfate describes a family of inorganic compounds with the formula ZnSO4(H2O)x. All are colorless solids. The most common form includes water of crystallization as the heptahydrate, with the formula ZnSO4·7H2O. As early as the 16th century it was prepared on the large scale, and was historically known as "white vitriol" (the name was used, for example, in 1620s by the collective writing under the pseudonym of Basil Valentine). Zinc sulfate and its hydrates are colourless solids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadmium sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Cadmium sulfate is the name of a series of related inorganic compounds with the formula CdSO4·xH2O. The most common form is the monohydrate CdSO4·H2O, but two other forms are known CdSO4·83H2O and the anhydrous salt (CdSO4). All salts are colourless and highly soluble in water.

In chemistry, a dehydration reaction is a chemical reaction that involves the loss of water from the reacting molecule or ion. Dehydration reactions are common processes, the reverse of a hydration reaction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chisso</span> Japanese chemicals company

The Chisso Corporation, since 2012 reorganized as JNC, is a Japanese chemical company. It is an important supplier of liquid crystal used for LCDs, but is best known for its role in the 34-year-long pollution of the water supply in Minamata, Japan that led to thousands of deaths and victims of disease.

The four big pollution diseases of Japan were a group of man-made diseases all caused by environmental pollution due to improper handling of industrial wastes by Japanese corporations. The first occurred in 1912, and the other three occurred in the 1950s and 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manganese(II) sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Manganese(II) sulfate usually refers to the inorganic compound with the formula MnSO4·H2O. This pale pink deliquescent solid is a commercially significant manganese(II) salt. Approximately 260,000 tonnes of manganese(II) sulfate were produced worldwide in 2005. It is the precursor to manganese metal and many other chemical compounds. Manganese-deficient soil is remediated with this salt.

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

Mercury(I) sulfate, commonly called mercurous sulphate (UK) or mercurous sulfate (US) is the chemical compound Hg2SO4. Mercury(I) sulfate is a metallic compound that is a white, pale yellow or beige powder. It is a metallic salt of sulfuric acid formed by replacing both hydrogen atoms with mercury(I). It is highly toxic; it could be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed by skin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zirconium(IV) sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Zirconium(IV) sulfate is the name for a family of inorganic salts with the formula Zr(SO4)2(H2O)n where n = 0, 4, 5, 7. These species are related by the degree of hydration. They are white or colourless solids that are soluble in water.

The Denigés' reagent is a reagent used for qualitative analysis. It was developed in 1898 by Georges Denigés, a French biochemist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromium(II) sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Chromium(II) sulfate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula CrSO4. It often comes as hydrates CrSO4·nH2O. Several hydrated salts are known. The pentahydrate CrSO4·5H2O is a blue solid that dissolves readily in water. Solutions of chromium(II) are easily oxidized by air to Cr(III) species. Solutions of Cr(II) are used as specialized reducing agents of value in organic synthesis.

A sulfite sulfate is a chemical compound that contains both sulfite and sulfate anions [SO3]2− [SO4]2−. These compounds were discovered in the 1980s as calcium and rare earth element salts. Minerals in this class were later discovered. Minerals may have sulfite as an essential component, or have it substituted for another anion as in alloriite. The related ions [O3SOSO2]2− and [(O2SO)2SO2]2− may be produced in a reaction between sulfur dioxide and sulfate and exist in the solid form as tetramethyl ammonium salts. They have a significant partial pressure of sulfur dioxide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-Hexyne</span> Chemical compound

2-Hexyne is an organic compound that belongs to the alkyne group. Just like its isomers, it also has the chemical formula of C6H10.

References

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