Chemistry:Mercuric amidochloride
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
Mercuric azanide chloride
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Other names
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3D model (JSmol)
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PubChem CID
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| UNII | |
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| Properties | |
| Hg(NH 2)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] |
| 1.4 g/L (cold ); 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 | |
| 1=ATC code }} | D08AK01 (WHO) |
| Hazards | |
| GHS pictograms |   
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| GHS Signal word | Danger |
| H300+310+330Script error: No such module "Preview warning".Category:GHS errors, H373, H410 | |
| P262, P264, P273, P280, P302+352, P304+340+310 | |
| Flash point | Non-combustible |
Threshold limit value (TLV)
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0.025 mg/m3[4] (TWA) |
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose)
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LC50 (median concentration)
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0.051 mg/L (inhalation, 4h, dust/mist)[5] |
| NIOSH (US health exposure limits):Template:Chembox NIOSH (set)/formatPocketGuideLink | |
PEL (Permissible)
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0.1 mg/m3 (TWA) |
REL (Recommended)
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0.1 mg/m3 (C, skin, as Hg) |
IDLH (Immediate danger)
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10 mg/m3 (as Hg) |
| Related compounds | |
Related compounds
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
 verify (what is   ?)
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| Infobox references | |
Mercuric amidochloride is an inorganic compound with the formula Hg(NH
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 (HgNH
2)
n with chloride counterions.[6][7]
It is stable in air, but darkens on exposure to light.[8] It does not melt, even at dull red heat, instead subliming and decomposing to gaseous mercury, hydrogen chloride, and nitrogen oxides.[3][9] Consequently sealed containers with this chemical may explode when heated.[10]
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[8] or corrode the mucous membranes.
Addition of base converts it into "Millon's base", named after Eugène Millon, which has the formula Hg
2(OH)N · xH
2O. A variety of related amido and nitrido materials with chloride, bromide, and hydroxide are known.[11]
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.[12]
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.[8][12]
Chronic use of this medication can lead to systemic mercury poisoning.[8]
See also
- Merbromin, also known as "Mercurochrome", another antiseptic mercury compound
- Thiomersal, another antiseptic mercury compound
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Weast, Robert C., ed (1991). "CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics". CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (1st student ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press. p. B-42. ISBN 0-8493-0740-6. https://archive.org/details/crchandbookofche01edunse/page/n55.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hawley, Gessner G. (1981). "The Condensed Chemical Dictionary". The Condensed Chemical Dictionary (10th ed.). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold / Litton Educational. p. 657. ISBN 0-442-23244-6. https://archive.org/details/condensedchemica00hawl/page/656/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Template:Cite Merck Index
- ↑ 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. https://archive.org/details/2008tlvsbeisbase0000unse/page/36/mode/2up. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sigma-Aldrich Co., Mercury(II) amidochloride. Retrieved on 12 January 2026.
- ↑ Wells, A. F. (1984), Structural Inorganic Chemistry (5th ed.), Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 1166-1169, ISBN 0-19-855370-6
- ↑ Lipscomb, W. N. (1951). "The structure of mercuric amidochloride, HgNH2Cl". Acta Crystallographica 4 (3): 266–8. doi:10.1107/S0365110X51000866. Bibcode: 1951AcCry...4..266L.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Harvey, Stewart H. (1990). "Antimicrobial drugs". in Gennaro, Alfonso R.. Pharmaceutical Sciences (18th ed.). Easton, Pennsylvania: Mack. p. 1172. ISBN 0-912-734-04-3. https://archive.org/details/remingtonspharma0000unse/page/1172.
- ↑ Lewis, R.J. (1996). Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 1-3 (9th ed.). New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold. p. 2121. ISBN 9780471288497.
- ↑ North American transport authorities (2016). Emergency Response Guidebook. Neenah, WI: J. J. Keller. pp. 129, 240–241. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781680080711.
- ↑ Holleman, Arnold Frederik; Wiberg, Egon (2001), Wiberg, Nils, ed., Inorganic Chemistry, San Diego/Berlin: Academic Press/De Gruyter, ISBN 0-12-352651-5
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Ammoniated mercury ointment: outdated but still in use". Contact Dermatitis 23 (3): 168–71. September 1990. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1990.tb04778.x. PMID 2149317.
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