592-04-1 Usage
Description
Mercuric cyanide, also known as mercury(II) cyanide, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Hg(CN)2. It is an odorless, white crystalline solid that turns gray to dark brown when exposed to light. MERCURIC CYANIDE is toxic by inhalation and ingestion, and toxic oxides of nitrogen are produced in fires.
Uses
Used in Veterinary Medicine:
Mercuric cyanide is used as a topical antiseptic for cats and other animals, providing a means to prevent and treat infections in these animals.
Used in Medicine:
In the medical field, mercuric cyanide is utilized as an antiseptic and germicide, helping to eliminate harmful microorganisms and promote healing.
Used in Germicidal Soaps:
Mercuric cyanide is also employed in the formulation of germicidal soaps, which are designed to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms on the skin.
Used in Photography:
In the photography industry, mercuric cyanide is used in certain processes, such as the development of photographic films and prints.
Used in Manufacturing Cyanogen Gas:
Mercuric cyanide is used in the production of cyanogen gas, which has various industrial applications, including the synthesis of various organic compounds and the hardening of steel.
Chemical Properties:
Mercuric cyanide is a white, fine crystalline powder with a tetragonal crystal structure. It is an odorless compound that turns gray to dark brown when exposed to light. MERCURIC CYANIDE is highly toxic and should be handled with caution.
Air & Water Reactions
Soluble in water. Gradually decomposed by water to give off hydrogen cyanide, a flammable poison gas.
Reactivity Profile
MERCURIC CYANIDE is rapidly decomposed by acids to give off hydrogen cyanide, a flammable poison gas. Decomposed in the light. May tend to explosive instability. Capable of violent reaction with oxidizing agents. Fusion with metal chlorates, perchlorates, nitrates or nitrites can cause a violent explosion [Bretherick 1979. p. 101].
Hazard
Toxic by ingestion, inhalation, and skin
absorption.
Health Hazard
Symptoms of both cyanide and mercury intoxication can occur. Acute poisoning has resulted from inhaling dust concentrations of 1.2-8.5 mg/m 3 of air; symptoms include tightness and pain in chest, coughing, and difficul ty in breathing; cyanide poisoning can cause anxiety, confusion, dizziness, and shortness of breath, with possible unconsciousness, convulsions, and paralysis; breath may smell like bitter almonds. Ingestion causes necrosis, pain, vomiting, an d severe purging, plus the above symptoms. Contact with eyes causes ulceration of conjunctiva and cornea. Contact with skin causes irritation and possible dermatitis; systemic poisoning can occur by absorption through skin.
Health Hazard
Mercuric cyanide is a highly poisonous compound. Its components, mercury(II) and the cyanide ions, are both highly toxic. Its toxicity, however, is lower than that of sodium and potassium cyanides. Acute toxic symptoms from oral intake of this compound in humans are hypermotility, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, and injury to kidney and bladder. Toxic symptoms may be manifested in humans from consuming 15–20 g of this compound. Lower doses may produce somnolence. An intraperitoneal dosage of 7.5 mg/kg was fatal to rats. LD50 value, oral (mice): 7.5 mg/kg.
Fire Hazard
Special Hazards of Combustion Products: Fumes from fire may contain toxic mercury and hydrogen cyanide.
Safety Profile
Poison by ingestion,
subcutaneous, intravenous, and
intraperitoneal routes. Human systemic
effects by ingestion: nausea or vomiting,
hypermotility, dlarrhea, kidney changes,
somnolence. Hydrolyzes to toxic fumes. A
frictionand impact-sensitive explosive. It
may initiate detonation of liquid hydrogen
cyanide. Incompatible with fluorine,
magnesium, sodium nitrite. When heated to
decomposition it emits very toxic fumes of
Hg, NOx, and CN-. See also CYANIDE
and MERCURY COMPOUNDS.
Potential Exposure
Mercuric cyanide is used in medicine,
germicidal soaps, photography and in making cyanogen
gas
Shipping
UN1636 Mercuric cyanide, Hazard Class: 6.1;
Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials
Purification Methods
Crystallise it from water. The solubility in H2O is 8% at ~20o and 33% at ~100o; in EtOH it is 8% at ~20o and in MeOH it is 25% at ~20o. [Blitz Z Anorg Allgem Chem 170 161 1928.] POISONOUS.
Incompatibilities
Violent reaction with fluorine, magnesium, sodium nitrite, acids. Heating or contact with acid
releases toxic mercury and flammable hydrogen cyanide
gas. Incompatible with oxidizers (chlorates, nitrates,
peroxides, permanganates, perchlorates, chlorine, bromine,
fluorine, etc.); contact may cause fires or explosions. Keep
away from alkaline materials, strong bases, strong acids,
oxoacids, epoxides
Waste Disposal
Return to supplier for mercury recovery and deactivation.
Check Digit Verification of cas no
The CAS Registry Mumber 592-04-1 includes 6 digits separated into 3 groups by hyphens. The first part of the number,starting from the left, has 3 digits, 5,9 and 2 respectively; the second part has 2 digits, 0 and 4 respectively.
Calculate Digit Verification of CAS Registry Number 592-04:
(5*5)+(4*9)+(3*2)+(2*0)+(1*4)=71
71 % 10 = 1
So 592-04-1 is a valid CAS Registry Number.
InChI:InChI=1/2CN.Hg/c2*1-2;/q2*-1;+2
592-04-1Relevant articles and documents
Mercury(II) cyanide complexes of thioureas and the crystal structure of [(N-methylthiourea)2 Hg(CN)2]
Isab,Fettouhi,Malik,Ali,Fazal,Ahmad
, p. 180 - 185 (2011)
Mercury(II) cyanide complexes of thioureas (Tu), N-methylthiourea (MeTu), and N,N′-dimethylthiourea (DmTu)) have been prepared and characterized by IR and NMR (1H and 13C) spectroscopy, and the crystal structure of one of them was determined by X-ray crystallography. An upfield shift in 13C NMR and downfield shifts in 1H NMR are consistent with the sulfur coordination to mercury(II). The appearance of a band around 2200 cm-1 in IR and a resonance around 145 ppm in 13C NMR indicates the binding of cyanide to mercury(II). The NMR data show that the [(Thione)2Hg(CN)2] complexes are stable in solution and undergo no redistribution reactions. In the crystal structure of the title complex, mercury atom is coordinated to two thione sulfur atoms of MeTu and to two cyanide carbon atoms in a distorted tetrahedral mode with the bond angles in the range of 90.2(2)°-169.3(3)°.
ELECTROCHEMICAL STUDY OF CIS-DICYANOAQUOETHYLENEDIAMINE NITROSYLCHROMIUM COMPLEX AND ITS ADDUCTS WITH MERCURY(II) AND SILVER(I)
Rievaj, Miroslav,Korgova, Elena,Bustin, Dusan
, p. 671 - 676 (2007/10/02)
The paper describes electrochemical properties of NO(en)(H2O)Cr(CN)2 and the polarographic investigation of its acid hydrolysis.Stoichiometry (1:1) of NO(en)(H2O)Cr(CN)2 reactions with Hg(2+) and Ag(1+) was determined using potentiometric method.Adducts formed by these reactions were investigated polarographically and linkage isomerisation of bridging cyano ligands has been found to be involved in their formation.Decomposition kinetics of the adduct NO(en)(H2O)Cr(NC)2Hg(2+) was studied, factors affecting it discussed and found kinetics data compared with those determined for similar cyano complexes.
15N chemical shifts and 13C-15N coupling constants of cyanide complexes
Sano, Mitsuru,Yoshikawa, Yuzo,Yamatera, Hideo
, p. 2521 - 2523 (2008/10/08)
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