Crystal structure determination of complexes of monomethylammonium chloride and mercury(II) chloride: CH3NH3HgCl3, (CH3NH3)2HgCl4, and CH3NH3Hg2Cl5

The crystal structures have been determined of CH₃NH₃HgCl₃, (CH₃NH₃)₂HgCl₄, and CH₃NH₃Hg₂Cl₅. In (CH₃NH₃)₂HgCl₄ the Hg^II atom is tetrahedrally coordinated by four Cl atoms with Hg? Cl bond lengths of 2.464 to 2.478 Å. In the other two compounds the Hg^II atom is involved in two short covalent Hg? Cl bonds, forming a pseudo HgCl₂ molecule and two much longer bridging Hg? Cl bonds. The methylammonium groups are connected by hydrogen bonds to the chlorine atoms. The nature of the hydrogen bonding scheme probably causes disorder of the methylammonium groups.