Mercury(II) nitrate
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Verifiedrevid441024345
IupacnameMercury dinitrate
Mercury(II) nitrate
OthernamesMercuric nitrate

Mercury(II) nitrate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Hg(NO3)2. It is the mercury(II) salt of nitric acid HNO3. It contains mercury(II) cations Hg(2+) and nitrate anions NO3−, and water of crystallization H2O in the case of a hydrous salt. Mercury(II) nitrate forms hydrates Hg(NO3)2*xH2O. Anhydrous and hydrous salts are colorless or white soluble crystalline solids that are occasionally used as a reagents. Mercury(II) nitrate is made by treating mercury with hot concentrated nitric acid. Neither anhydrous nor monohydrate has been confirmed by X-ray crystallography.[1] The anhydrous material is more widely used.

Uses

Mercury(II) nitrate is used as an oxidizing agent in organic synthesis, as a nitrification agent, as an analytical reagent in laboratories, in the manufacture of felt, and in the manufacture of mercury fulminate.[2] An alternative qualitative Zeisel test can be done with the use of mercury(II) nitrate instead of silver nitrate, leading to the formation of scarlet red mercury(II) iodide.[3]

Health information

Mercury compounds are highly toxic. The use of this compound by hatters and the subsequent mercury poisoning of said hatters is a common theory of where the phrase "mad as a hatter" came from.

See also

References

  1. ^ Nolte, M.; Pantenburg, I.; Meyer, G. (9 December 2005). "The Monohydrate of Basic Mercuric Nitrate, [Hg(OH)](NO3)(H2O)" (in German). Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie. 632 (1): 111–113. Wiley Publishing. doi:10.1002/zaac.200500344. ISSN 0044-2313. Archived 27 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Mercury nitrate monohydrate". Chemical Book. 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  3. ^ Wang, Zerong (2010). "Zeisel Determination". Comprehensive Organic Name Reactions and Reagents. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 3115–3118. doi:10.1002/9780470638859.conrr689. ISBN 9780470638859.