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Vikascoder
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dimethyl mercury synthesis
<div align="center"><img src="../scipics/_warn.png" /> <em>Mercury and it's compounds are <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_poisoning" target="_blank">cumulative neurotoxins</a> <img src="../scipics/_wiki.png" /> and
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_cycle" target="_blank">persistent environmental pollutants</a> <img
src="../scipics/_wiki.png" />! Proceed at your own risk & <u>dispose of wastes responsibly</u>.</em> <img
src="../scipics/_warn.png" /></div><br /><hr width="80%" />
I was searching for some toxic compounds of mercury . What I found that dimethyl mercury is very very toxic but I couldn't find its synthesis . If
anyone knows the synthesis of dimethyl mercury then please post it and also post some extremely toxic compounds of mercury
<!-- bfesser_edit_tag -->[<a href="u2u.php?action=send&username=bfesser">bfesser</a>: added
warning]
[Edited on 17.12.13 by bfesser]
Girls break promises like a small child breaks pencil tips so don't trust girl bcoz no girl=no tension
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12AX7
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I would imagine something simple like methyl lithium + mercuric chloride,
HgCl2 + 2 LiCH3 <--> Hg(CH3)2 + 2 LiCl
Done in a solvent where HgCl2 is soluble and LiCl is not (and where LiCH3 does not react..), it should proceed easily.
LiCH3 is pretty toxic in and of itself, so that should be of interest. Not so much chemically but more because it spontaneously bursts into flames.
There are probably simpler ways, including a bunch of stuff I used to know.
Or you can drop a bit of mercury into a sample of sea water and taste it infrequently. When you drop dead, you'll know it's working.
Tim
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Nicodem
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Thread Moved
2-6-2013 at 02:26 |
kristofvagyok
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I have a little experience with organomercury chemistry, but I mostly worked with polyaromatic, large molecular weight substances what had limited
solubility in water and could be easily decomposed to relative non toxic substances like HgI2.
For the commercial preparation they often cite the method what 12AX7 mentioned, or instead of MeLi what is not a really easily handled reagent they
often use MeMgI.
There is also a third method, what is described in several journals, I first red it in "Inorganic Synthesis", it is based on the pyrolysis of
mercury(II)-acetates. The only problem with this method is the high temperature. So if the glass breaks, you die.
And just some basic info what everyone knows, but its good to remind it:
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Dimethylmercury is extremely toxic and dangerous to handle. Absorption of doses as low as 0.1 mL has proven fatal.[6] The risks are enhanced because
of the high vapor pressure of the liquid. Dimethylmercury passes through latex, PVC, butyl, and neoprene rapidly (within seconds) and is absorbed
through the skin. Therefore, most laboratory gloves do not provide adequate protection from it, and the only safe precaution is to handle
dimethylmercury while wearing highly resistant laminated gloves underneath long-cuffed neoprene or other heavy-duty gloves. A long face shield and
work under a fume hood are also indicated.[6][7] Dimethylmercury crosses the blood–brain barrier easily, probably owing to formation of a complex
with cysteine. It is eliminated from the organism slowly, and therefore has a tendency to bioaccumulate. The symptoms of poisoning may be delayed by
months, possibly too late for effective treatment. The toxicity of dimethylmercury was highlighted with the death of the inorganic chemist Karen
Wetterhahn of Dartmouth College in 1997, months after spilling no more than a few drops of this compound on her latex-gloved hand.[6]
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weiming1998
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Wikipedia says that dimethyl mercury can be prepared by reacting sodium amalgam with a methyl halide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethylmercury), which would be much easier than the route using methyllithium (extremely basic and pyrophoric). But
just a word of advice: Do NOT actually make dimethyl mercury, unless you want to die several months later of mercury poisoning.
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Hexavalent
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Indeed, I recall a Dartmouth professor was killed some years ago by <FONT SIZE=+2> one drop of
Me2Hg dropped on her gloved hand.</FONT SIZE=+2>
[Edited to correct HTML coding]
[Edited on 2-6-2013 by Hexavalent]
"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
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DJF90
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That'll be most of them then.
| Quote: | | What I found that dimethyl mercury is very very toxic but I couldn't find its synthesis |
You didn't look particularly hard then. Either that or you have no idea about general approaches to organometallic compounds.
| Quote: | | ...also post some extremely toxic compounds of mercury |
Uh I don't think so, thanks. You killing yourself with these things is one thing, but having you endangering the lives of others with these cumulative
heavy metal poisons is something I'd rather avoid.
| Quote: | | Indeed, I recall a Dartmouth professor was killed some years ago by one drop of Me2Hg dropped on her gloved hand. |
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Yes, it really is this poisonous. Her name was Karen Wetterhahn, IIRC. Its worth considering that it is the reference standard for 199Hg-NMR. LD50 of
Me2Hg is supposedly 0.1 mL (thats 100 microliters!). Theres also this link: http://chemgroups.northwestern.edu/ohalloran/HgNMRStandards/ . Sums it up nicely I think.
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zenosx
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I just have to say, I really hope this is only for theoretical usage.
A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?
Albert Einstein
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Vikascoder
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What amount of elemental mercury is fatal to human . And also how much time does it takes to kill human
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turd
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Depends on state of matter and mode of intake. I doubt there are LD50 studies on humans.
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woelen
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@Vikascoder: Is this just a theoretical exercise for you, or do you really plan to make some dimethylmercury? Don't think you can handle that safely.
You can't.
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Adas
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Why would anybody even want to make that? I would rather store 30 kilos of TATP than few drops of DMM.
Rest In Pieces!
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Vikascoder
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I am never going to make it . My hobby is to pen down the synthesis of most of the compounds which are toxic or explosive or serve as a medicine or
are used for some other purposes. For just my knowledge I am asking the synthesis.
Anyway could anyone tell me what is the minimum amount of elemental mercury which is fatal if eaten through mouth and after how much time how does
symptoms occurs and after how much time does person dies
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ScienceSquirrel
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You can easily research mercury toxicity yourself.
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Vikascoder
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I searched a lot on google . Bit just found about a article on Wikipedia named mercury poisoning. But I could not find about the toxicity of metallic
mercury if it is eaten by any person. I couldn't find how much metallic mercury eaten is fatal to human. If someone knows then pleas tell
Girls break promises like a small child breaks pencil tips so don't trust girl bcoz no girl=no tension
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kristofvagyok
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DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! This is my fav. story from mercury poisong. Pretty interesting, I would recommend it for everyone to read it:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200006153422405
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Variscite
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If I recall correctly, eating elemental Hg is not that bad, I think something like .001% is absorbed via your G.I. tract. Breathing the vapor is what
will get you. I strongly advise against any handling or synthesizing of any mercury salts.
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BlackDragon2712
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If there is an element which I love to work with is with mercury and come on guys! INORGANIC SALTS
OF mercury ARE not that bad when you apply all the safety requirements to work with it, also is a usefull catalyst in organic chemistry so it
is essential in a lab!
[Edited on 06/11/2013 by BlackDragon2712]
[Edited on 06/11/2013 by BlackDragon2712]
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Pyro
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according to wiki: ''MeI can also be used to prepare dimethylmercury, by reacting 2 moles of MeI with a 2/1-molar sodium amalgam (2 moles of sodium, 1
mol of mercury).''
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_iodide
all above information is intellectual property of Pyro.  |
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bfesser
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Untrue. It is <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Wetterhahn" target="_blank">worse than you know</a> <img src="../scipics/_wiki.png" />.
Please don't spread dangerous misinformation.
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BlackDragon2712
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Quote: Originally posted by bfesser  | | Untrue. It is <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Wetterhahn" target="_blank">worse than you know</a> <img src="../scipics/_wiki.png" />.
Please don't spread dangerous misinformation. |
Sorry I didn't explained myself properly, I was talking about inorganic salts of mercury. i've never worked with organo-mercury compounds so I have no
idea how to deal with them. Again I do apologize. btw I knew about Karen Watterhahn.
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Random
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Nerve agents and compounds like these would be where I draw the line.
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bismuthate
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This site is dedicated to amateur science and as I see it Me2Hg should never be used in a home lab.
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ScienceSquirrel
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Metallic mercury is not very toxic as it is quite unreactive.
It had a lot of uses in the 17th to 19th century in the hat making business, scientific instruments, etc.
Long term exposure is not good; inhalation of the vapour seems worse than dealing with the liquid.
Mercury compounds vary in their toxicity.
Mercury I chloride is very insoluble and was used as a garden chemical until the latter part of the 20th century.
Similarly mercurochrome was widely available as a topical antiseptic and it is still available quite widely.
These compounds have quite low toxicity and are safe in the normal amounts used.
Soluble mercury salts eg mercury II chloride and nitrate are very toxic.
Alkyl mercury II compounds eg dimethyl mercury and diphenyl mercury are extremely toxic.
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bfesser
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Thread Closed
26-11-2013 at 13:59 |
bfesser
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Thread Pruned
27-11-2013 at 10:07 |
bfesser
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Thread Opened
27-11-2013 at 10:08 |
Random
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There is also what is called mad hatter disease.
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bismuthate
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It's to late my dear. We're all mad here.
Sorry couldn't resist the the reference, though come to think of it this is a site for mad science
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