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Mercury sulfide

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Mercury sulfide
Names
IUPAC name
Mercury sulfide
Other names
Identifiers
ECHA InfoCard 100.014.270 Edit this at Wikidata
Properties
HgS
Molar mass 232.66 g/mol
Density 8.10 g/cm3
Melting point 580 °C decomp.
insoluble
Band gap 2.1 eV (direct, α-HgS) [1]
w=2.905, e=3.256, bire=0.3510 (α-HgS) [2]
Thermochemistry
78 J·mol−1·K−1[3]
−58 kJ·mol−1[3]
Hazards
Flash point Non-flammable
Related compounds
Other anions
Mercury oxide
Mercury selenide
Mercury telluride
Other cations
Zinc sulfide
Cadmium sulfide
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Mercury sulfide, mercuric sulfide, mercury sulphide, or mercury(II) sulfide is a chemical compound composed of the chemical elements mercury and sulfur. It is represented by the chemical formula HgS. It is virtually insoluble in water.[4]

Crystal structure

Cinnabar from Nevada, USA

HgS is dimorphic with two crystal forms:

Crystals of red, α-HgS, are optically active. This is caused by the Hg-S helices in the structure.[5]

Preparation and chemistry

β-HgS is precipitated as a black powder when H2S is bubbled through solutions of Hg(II) salts.[6] β-HgS is unreactive to all but concentrated acids.[4]
Mercury metal is produced from the cinnabar ore by roasting in air and condensing the vapour.[4]

Uses

α-HgS is used as a red pigment when it is known as vermilion. Vermilion is known to darken and this has been ascribed to conversion from red α-HgS to black β-HgS. Investigations at Pompeii where red walls when originally excavated have darkened has been ascribed to the formation of Hg-Cl compounds (e.g., corderoite, calomel, and terlinguaite) and calcium sulfate, gypsum, rather than β-HgS, which was not detected.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ L. I. Berger, Semiconductor Materials (1997) CRC Press ISBN 0-8493-8912-7
  2. ^ Webminerals
  3. ^ a b Zumdahl, Steven S. (2009). Chemical Principles 6th Ed. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. A22. ISBN 0-618-94690-X.
  4. ^ a b c Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1984). Chemistry of the Elements. Oxford: Pergamon Press. p. 1406. ISBN 978-0-08-022057-4.
  5. ^ Glazer, A. M. (1986). "On the origin of optical activity in crystal structures". J. Appl. Cryst. 19 (2): 108–122. doi:10.1107/S0021889886089823. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Cotton, F. Albert; Wilkinson, Geoffrey; Murillo, Carlos A.; Bochmann, Manfred (1999), Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (6th ed.), New York: Wiley-Interscience, ISBN 0-471-19957-5
  7. ^ Cotte, M (2006). "Blackening of Pompeian Cinnabar Paintings: X-ray Microspectroscopy Analysis". Anal. Chem. 78 (21): 7484–7492. doi:10.1021/ac0612224. PMID 17073416. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)