Formula HgSe Density 8.3 g/cm³ | Molar mass 279.55 g/mol Appearance grey-black solid | |
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Mse 220 14 mercury selenide phase
Mercury selenide (HgSe) is a chemical compound of mercury and selenium. It is a grey-black crystalline solid semi-metal with a sphalerite structure. The lattice constant is 0.608 nm.
Contents
Mercury selenide can also refer to the following chemical compounds: HgSe2 and HgSe8. HgSe is strictly mercury(II) selenide.
HgSe occurs naturally as the mineral Tiemannite.
Along with other II-VI compounds, colloidal nanocrystals of HgSe can be formed.
Applications
Toxicity
HgSe is non-toxic as long as it is not ingested due to its insolubility. Toxic hydrogen selenide fumes can be evolved on exposure to acids. HgSe is a relatively stable compound which might mean that it is less toxic than elemental mercury or many organometallic mercury compounds. Selenium's ability to complex with mercury has been proposed as a reason for the lack of mercury toxicity in deep sea fish despite high mercury levels.