mercuric chloride

Mercuric chloride (HgCl2), also known as mercury(II) chloride or corrosive sublimate, is a highly toxic inorganic compound composed of mercury and chlorine. It appears as a white crystalline solid and was historically used as a topical antiseptic and disinfectant due to its strong antimicrobial properties. In the past, it was also used in the treatment of syphilis but has been abandoned for medicinal use because of its severe toxicity and the availability of safer alternatives. Mercuric chloride acts by denaturing proteins through binding to sulfhydryl groups, leading to cellular dysfunction and death. Today it is primarily used as an industrial reagent or catalyst rather than in medicine[1][5][8].

Other names

mercury(II) chloridemercury bichloridedichloromercurycorrosive sublimatesulema