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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Infrared Degenerate Four-wave Mixing with Upconversion Detection for Quantitative Gas Sensing
Published on: March 22, 2019
Infrared spectrum of Hg(OH)2 in solid neon and argon
1Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, McCormick Road, P.O. Box 400319, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4319, USA.
Abstract:
Mercury(II) hydroxide molecules have been prepared upon mercury arc lamp irradiation of Hg, H(2), and O(2) mixtures in solid neon and argon. The strongest three infrared absorptions are identified through isotopic substitution (D(2), HD, (18)O(2), (16)O(18)O) and comparison to frequencies from DFT calculations. The isolated Hg(OH)(2) molecule is stable and has a linear O-Hg-O linkage in a C(2) structure with an 86 degrees dihedral angle. However, in aqueous solution Hg(2+) and 2OH(-) may form an Hg(OH)(2) intermediate, which eliminates water and precipitates solid HgO: The solid Hg(OH)(2) compound is not known.
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