Potassium tetraiodomercurate(II)

• Kaliumtetraiodomercurat
• Mayer 's reagent
• Ness Lersches reagent
• Kaliumquecksilberiodid
• Quecksilberkaliumiodid
• Thouletsche solution

Light yellow solid

Fixed

Soluble in water

Risk

0.1 mg · m-3

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Kaliumtetraiodomercurat (II ) is a chemical compound selected from the group consisting of potassium compounds, and iodine complexes mercury compounds.

Production and representation

Kaliumtetraiodomercurat (II) can be obtained by reaction of mercury (II ) chloride or mercury (II) iodide, with potassium iodide.

Use

Kaliumtetraiodomercurat (also known as Nessler's reagent A, after Julius Nessler 1856 which the solution in his thesis described ) is used as a solution for determination of nitrogen. In this Nessler reaction Kaliumtetraiodomercurat forms with ammonia a red-brown color complex [ Hg2N ] I, the iodide of the cation of Millon's base. The proof is very sensitive to ammonium / ammonia and is used in water analysis for its quantitative determination. A disadvantage is the cross-sensitivity to simple amines, which occur abundantly in highly crowded waters ( eg fish ponds, waste water).