Why does Mercurous ion peculiarly exist as a dimer instead of monomer like a Mercuric ion?

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After years of speculation of the nature of the mercury (I) ion, I've come to the following conclusion. Mercury (I) is a dimer consisting of a mercury (II) ion and a neutral mercury atom. There are no individual mercury (I) ions. This is why there is no HgCl, only Hg2Cl2. It is said that mercury...
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After years of speculation of the nature of the mercury (I) ion, I've come to the following conclusion. Mercury (I) is a dimer consisting of a mercury (II) ion and a neutral mercury atom. There are no individual mercury (I) ions. This is why there is no HgCl, only Hg2Cl2. It is said that mercury (I) (Hg2^2+) disproportionates to form mercury (II) and mercury metal, as if this were a redox reaction and the mercury was changing oxidation state. (Similar to the disproportionation of Cu(I) to form Cu and Cu(II).) But instead of a redox reaction to make Hg and Hg(II) from Hg2^2+, it simply decomposes. There is no electron transfer, because the Hg2^2+ ion exists as at atom of mercury bonded to a Hg2+ ion, as in Hg-Hg2+. There are many examples of the decomposition of mercury (I) compounds to form mercury (II) compounds and metallic mercury. The classic example is in the Group One qualitative analysis test for mercury, where NH3 is added to Hg2Cl2 and it forms mercury metal and HgNH2Cl, where Hg is +2. read less
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Jack of JEE

Because mercurous ion is stable in aqueous form. Hence, it is stable is diatomic form.
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Knowledge

Molecular dimers are often formed by the reaction of two identical compounds e.g.: 2A ? A-A. In this example, monomer "A" is said to dimerise to give the dimer "A-A". An example is a diaminocarbene, which dimerise to give a tetraaminoethylene: 2 C(NR2)2 ? (R2N)2C=C(NR2)2 Carbenes are highly...
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Molecular dimers are often formed by the reaction of two identical compounds e.g.: 2A ? A-A. In this example, monomer "A" is said to dimerise to give the dimer "A-A". An example is a diaminocarbene, which dimerise to give a tetraaminoethylene: 2 C(NR2)2 ? (R2N)2C=C(NR2)2 Carbenes are highly reactive and readily form bonds. Mercury polycations are polyatomic cations that contain only mercury atoms. The best known example is the Hg2+ 2 ion, found in mercury (mercurous) compounds. The existence of the metal-metal bond in Hg compounds was established using X-ray studies in 1927 and Raman spectroscopy in 1934 making it one of the earliest, if not the first, covalent metal-metal bonds to be characterised. SO due to metallic bond it forms dimer state. read less
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Tutor

Not stable as mercuric ion because of its electronic configuration.
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Mathematics Teacher

mercury contains 2 electrons in its 6s orbital and 6s orbitals r highly stable due to relativistic contraction so it can form bond with two Hg+ giving (Hg2)2+ thus mercurous ion is stable
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Home Tutor

dear as mercurous ion is stable in aqous form only, 2 atoms are there. it is stable in diatomic form.
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