Crystal chemistry of compounds containing mercury in low oxidation states

The published data are surveyed and a comparative crystal-chemical analysis is presented for the structures of compounds containing mercury in low oxidation states as cluster Hg_n groups with covalent Hg–Hg bonds. The geometry of compounds with Hg–Hg and Hg–X bonds (X = O, S, Se, N or Hal) is analysed and the types of coordination of mercury ions, the packing modes and the relationships between structural units are described. The crystallographic and crystal-chemical data for mercury compounds are given. The bibliography includes 124 references.