Mercury selenide

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Mercury(II) selenide
Identifiers
CAS number 20601-83-6 YesY
PubChem 88609
Properties
Molecular formula HgSe
Molar mass 279.55 g/mol
Appearance grey-black solid
Density 8.3 g/cm3
Melting point 1,000 °C; 1,830 °F; 1,270 K
Solubility in water insoluble
Structure
Crystal structure sphalerite
Thermochemistry
Std enthalpy of
formation ΔfHo298
247 kJ/mol
Specific heat capacity, C 178 Jkg1K1
Hazards
EU Index 080-002-00-6
EU classification Very toxic (T+)
Dangerous for the environment (N)
R-phrases R26/27/28, R33, R50/53
S-phrases (S1/2), S13, S28, S45, S60, S61
Flash point Non-flammable
Related compounds
Other anions Mercury oxide
Mercury sulfide
Mercury telluride
Other cations Zinc selenide
Cadmium selenide
 YesY (verify) (what is: YesY/N?)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C (77 °F), 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Mercury selenide (HgSe) is a chemical compound of mercury and selenium. It is a grey-black crystalline solid semi-metal with a sphalerite structure. The lattice constant is 0.608 nm.

Mercury selenide can also refer to the following chemical compounds: HgSe2 and HgSe8. HgSe is strictly mercury(II) selenide.

HgSe occurs naturally as the mineral Tiemannite.

Along with other II-VI compounds, colloidal nanocrystals of HgSe can be formed.

Applications

  • Selenium is used in filters in some steel plants to remove mercury from exhaust gases. The solid product formed is HgSe.
  • HgSe can be used as an ohmic contact to wide-gap II-VI semiconductors such as zinc selenide or zinc oxide.

Toxicity

HgSe is non-toxic so long as it is not ingested due to its insolubility. Toxic hydrogen selenide fumes can be evolved on exposure to acids. HgSe is a relatively stable compound which might mean that it is less toxic than elemental mercury or many organometallic mercury compounds. Selenium's ability to complex with mercury has been proposed as a reason for the lack of mercury toxicity in deep sea fish despite high mercury levels.[1]

See also

References

  1. Watanabe, C. (2002). "Modification of Mercury Toxicity by Selenium: Practical Importanc?". The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine 196 (2): 71–77. doi:10.1620/tjem.196.71. PMID 12498318. 

External links

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