REACTIONS OF

MERCURY
Mercury is a metal and reacts similarly to the other metals in the d-block. Mercury can
react to form conventional salts in the +1 or +2 oxidation states but it can also react
with organic compounds to form organomercury compounds which are highly toxic.

SOME REACTIONS OF MERCURY

Mercury reacts with oxygen at 350°C to form mercury (II) oxide:

2Hg + O2 → 2HgO (red solid)

Above 400°C HgO decomposes back to its elements and this decomposition was
important in the discovery of oxygen as an element by J. Priestley and A. L.
Lavoisier.

PRIESTLEY AND LAVOISIER

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Mercury reacts with all the halides to give mercury (II) salts sometimes called
mercuric halides:

Hg + F2 → HgF2 (white solid)

Hg + Cl2 → HgCl2 (white solid)

Hg + Br2 → HgBr2 (white solid)

Hg + I2 → HgI2 (red solid)

These halides can be converted into mercury (I) halides by combination with metallic
mercury. Mercury (I) halides are known as mercurous halides. The example below is
shown for mercury chloride:

HgCl2 + Hg → Hg2Cl2 (calomel)

Mercury will only react with oxidising acids such as concentrated nitric acid and hot
concentrated sulphuric acid forming mercury (II) salts with oxides of sulphur and
nitrogen. Mercury reacts slowly with dilute nitric acid in the following reaction:

2Hg + 2HNO3 → Hg2(NO3)2 + H2

Mercury also alloys with other metals to form so called amalgams. The other metal
becomes dissolved in the mercury. Mercury forms amalgams with most heavy metals
including gold which is useful in the purification of gold and gold plating. It can also
form an amalgam with sodium forming a powerful reducing agent.

Organomercury compounds can be formed by the reaction of sodium amalgam with

alkyl halides where R is an organic group and X is a halide:

2Hg + 2RX → HgR2 + HgX2

HgX2 + 2Na → Hg + 2NaX

They can also be formed by reaction of HgCl2 Grignard reagents in tetrahydrofuran:

RMgX + HgCl2 → RHgCl + MgXCl

RMgX + RHgCl → HgR2 + MgXCl

Organomercury compounds (HgR2) are usually highly toxic liquids.