Formation of Dimeric Mercury(II) Thiolate Ions in Water

Methanethiolatomercury(II) acetate dissolves in water to a form conducting solutions. Mercury-sulphur stretching vibrations in mercuryII) thiolates Hg(SR)2 occur in the range 371 (or 405)-172 cm-1, and Raman spectra of aqueous solutions of MeSHg02CMe and related complexes have an intense, broad, strongly polarized band in the range 277-253 cm-1. With the polarized band assigned as a totally symmetric mercury-sulphur stretching mode the ions containing mercury are assumed to have structure with tetrahedral coordination and a centre of symmetry between mercury atoms. Similar sulphur bridging occurs in polymeric bis(tert-butylthiolato)mercury(II)