Mercury(II) iodide

• Mercuric iodide
• Hydrargyrum bijodatum

Odorless, red solid

Fixed

6.28 g · cm -3

259 ° C

354 ° C

1.3 hPa ( 157.5 ° C)

Almost insoluble in water: 0.06 g · l -1 ( 25 ° C), soluble in hot alcohol and diethyl ether

Risk

0.1 mg · m-3

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Mercury ( II) iodide is a chemical bond and one of the halides of the heavy metal mercury. Direct contact should be avoided because of its high toxicity. Mercury ( II) iodide is a semiconductor, and sensitive to light. With potassium iodide, and mercury (II ) chloride, it is crystallizable double bonds.

Occurrence

Mercury (II ) iodide is found in nature only rarely available in a form of the mineral Coccinit.

Production and representation

Mercury (II ) iodide can be shown directly from the elements mercury and iodine:

Even with the addition of mercury (II ) chloride to an aqueous solution of potassium iodide, it arises as a red precipitate:

Properties

Mercury (II ) iodide is a scarlet, heavy, microcrystalline powder, which turns yellow when heated to the melting point at 259 ° C. It is toxic to most living organisms and behaves similarly to mercury (II ) chloride. For salt-like compounds of mercury has (II ) iodide with 354 ° C has a very low boiling point.

Use

Solving the sparingly soluble in water, mercury (II ) iodide in an excess of potassium iodide solution, we obtain the complex compound Kaliumtetraiodomercurat (II ), finds use in the Nessler reaction. It is also used in veterinary medicine as a tincture for injury.