Synthesis and characterisation of mercury cyanamide

HgCN2 was prepared by double conversion of HgCl2 with sodium cyanamide in a queous solution. Its crystal structure has been determined using X-ray powd er data and refined by combined profile fits using X-ray and neutron diffra ction data (Pbca, Z = 8, a = 10.4851(1), b = 6.5138(1), c = 6.8929(1) Angst rom; R-p (X-ray) = 6.15%; R-p (neutrons) = 2.33; 2.43%). The cyanamide-anio n is bent (172.4(7)degrees), which has been confirmed by vibrational spectr oscopy. Mercury and carbon form zigzag chains. Not including nitrogen, the structure is related to the MnP-structure type.