Mercury(II) stearate

Template:Chembox Mercury(II) stearate is a metal-organic compound, a salt of mercury and stearic acid with the chemical formula Template:Chem. The compound is classified as a metallic soap, i.e. a metal derivative of a fatty acid. The compound is highly toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption.

Synthesis

An exchange reaction of sodium stearate and mercury dichloride:

$𝖧𝗀𝖢{𝗅}_{\mathrm{𝟤}}\mathsf{+}\mathrm{𝟤}{𝖢}_{\mathrm{𝟣}\mathrm{𝟩}}{𝖧}_{\mathrm{𝟥}\mathrm{𝟧}}𝖢𝖮𝖮𝖭𝖺\stackrel{}{\to }𝖧𝗀\mathsf{(}{𝖢}_{\mathrm{𝟣}\mathrm{𝟩}}{𝖧}_{\mathrm{𝟥}\mathrm{𝟧}}𝖢𝖮𝖮{\mathsf{)}}_{\mathrm{𝟤}}\mathsf{\downarrow }\mathsf{+}\mathrm{𝟤}𝖭𝖺𝖢𝗅$

Also, heating mercurious oxide with stearic acid.

Physical properties

The compound forms yellow waxy substance.

Uses

It is used as a germicide and as a plasticizer in the production of ceramics.Template:Cn