Solvation of mercury(II) halides and alkylmercury(II) halides by liquid ammonia: a Raman spectroscopic study
Abstract
Raman spectra are reported for HgX2(X = Cl, Br, or I), [HgEt(Cl)], [HgBr(Me)], and [HgMe(I)] dissolved in liquid ammonia and liquid ND3. The spectra have been recorded at ambient temperatures and the results obtained for all six compounds are quite different to those reported previously for solutions in weakly co-ordinating non-aqueous solvents. The spectra for the chloro- and bromo-compounds have been satisfactorily interpreted in terms of [Hg(NH3)4]2+ and [HgR(NH3)3]+ cations, but the iodo-compounds generate different species. Mercury(II) iodide exists as [Hgl(NH3)3][l(solvated)], while the following equilibrium is shown to be present for [HgMe(I)] : [HgMe(I)][graphics omitted] [HgMe(I)(NH3)2]⇌[HgMe(NH3)3][I(solvated)].