STRUCTURE OF [NH3(C2H5)]2[HG(CN)2CL2]

The structure of bis(ethylammonium) dichlorodicyanomercurate consists of slightly deformed tetragonal nets of Cl atoms parallel to (100) at x = 0.25 and 0.75. Half of the chlorine squares are nearly centred by Hg atoms resulting in a chess-board arrangement. The environment of the Hg atom is augmented to a distorted octahedron by two CN groups nearly perpendicular to the chlorine net. The C2H5NH3 groups are located above and below the non-centred chlorine squares. Two H atoms of the NH3 group bridge to Cl atoms of the neighbouring net with distances of 2.233 (2) and 2.442 (2) angstrom. The shortest distance from the third H atom to the N atom of the CN group located in the next slice is 2.078 (7) angstrom. Thus the two slices may be regarded as being tied up by hydrogen bridges. The nets are shifted against each other in the b direction according to the glide operation a.