Organomercury compounds

Dimethylmercury is an extremely toxic organomercury compound with the formula (CH3)2Hg. A volatile, flammable, dense and colorless liquid, dimethylmercury is one of the strongest known neurotoxins. Less than 0.1 mL is capable of inducing severe mercury poisoning resulting in death.

Thiomersal (INN), or thimerosal (USAN, JAN), also sold under the name merthiolate, is an organomercury compound. It is a well-established antiseptic and antifungal agent.

Merbromin (marketed as Mercurochrome, Merbromine, Mercurocol, Sodium mercurescein, Asceptichrome, Supercrome, Brocasept and Cinfacromin) is an organomercuric disodium salt compound used as a topical antiseptic for minor cuts and scrapes and as a biological dye. While readily available in most countries, it is no longer sold in much of the West, including Switzerland, Brazil, France, Iran, Germany, Denmark, or the United States, due to its mercury content.

thumb|Methylation reaction of mercury under sunlight thumb|class=skin-invert-image|Structures of two main types of complexes formed by methylmercury. X− = anion, L = neutral Lewis base.

Diphenylmercury is the organomercury compound with the formula . It is a white solid. The compound is of historic interest as a particularly stable organometallic compound but it finds few uses because of its high toxicity.

chemical compound

chemical compound

Diethylmercury is a flammable, colorless liquid, and one of the strongest known neurotoxins. This organomercury compound is described as having a slightly sweet smell, though inhaling enough fumes to notice this would be deadly. This chemical can cross the blood–brain barrier, causing permanent brain damage. It is, however, considerably less toxic than dimethylmercury.

Ethylmercury (sometimes ethyl mercury) is a cation composed of an organic CH3CH2— species (an ethyl group) bound to a mercury(II) centre, making it a type of organometallic cation, and giving it a chemical formula C2H5Hg+. The main source of ethylmercury is thiomersal.

class of chemical compounds

chemical compound

organomercury compound with powerful antiseptic and antifungal effects

Nitromersol (metaphen) is a mercury-containing organic compound that is primarily used as an antiseptic and disinfectant. It is a brown-yellow solid that has no odor or taste, does not irritate the skin or mucous membranes, and has no impact on rubber or metallic instruments, including surgical and dental tools.

chemical compound