CuxHgy: a puzzling compound

Description

The Cu–Hg system has been re-examined focusing on the only intermediate phase. Our results are not in agreement with the accepted literature data: both decomposition temperature and composition have been discussed. The structural determination performed on a single crystal is already in progress and, although it shows a trigonal cell, the reflection conditions seem to exclude the diffraction symbol R, rejecting the space group of the structure Cu7Hg6, R3m. The existence of a small compositional range of stability has been pointed out.

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