Mercury(II) selenide

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Mercury(II) selenide
Mercury(II) selenide unit cell
Identifiers
CAS number [20601-83-6]
Properties
Molecular formula HgSe
Molar mass 279.55 g/mol
Density 8300 kg.m-3
Melting point

1270 K

Thermochemistry
Std enthalpy of
formation
ΔfHo298
247 kJ.mol-1
Specific heat capacity, C 178 J.kg-1.K-1
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)

Infobox disclaimer and 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.

Contents

[edit] 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 semconductors such as zinc selenide or zinc oxide.

[edit] Toxicity

HgSe is toxic due to the mercury content (see mercury poisoning). 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.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Resonant Phonon Scattering in Mercury Selenide, Donald A. Nelson, J. G. Broerman, E. C. Paxhia, and Charles R. Whitsett, Phys. Rev. Lett. vol. 22, pp. 884–887 (1969) doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.22.884
  • Melting and Polymorphic Transitions for Some Group II-VI Compounds at High Pressures, A. Jayaraman, W. Klement, Jr., and G. C. Kennedy, Phys. Rev. vol. 130, pp. 2277–2283 (1963) doi:10.1103/PhysRev.130.2277
  • HgSe: Metal or Semiconductor?, K.-U. Gawlik, L. Kipp, and M. Skibowski, N. Orłowski and R. Manzke, Phys. Rev. Lett. vol. 78, pp. 3165–3168 (1997) doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.3165.
  • Dielectric properties of narrow-gap semiconductors, K. Kumazaki, Journal of Crystal Growth Volume 101, Issues 1-4 pages 687-690 (1990) doi:10.1016/0022-0248(90)91059-Y
  • SNV (1991) Guidelines on measures and methods for heavy metal emissions control. Solna, The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency – Naturvårdsverket.

[edit] External links