dimethylmercury

Other names: mercury dimethanide

C₂H₆Hg

36/50 uncommon

Dimethylmercury is a colorless, sweet-smelling organomercury compound infamous for its extreme toxicity. This deceptively simple molecule consists of a mercury atom bonded to two methyl groups, creating a volatile liquid that can penetrate common laboratory safety equipment with deadly ease. Its notoriety stems largely from the tragic case of Professor Karen Wetterhahn, a distinguished Dartmouth College chemist studying toxic metal exposure. In August 1996, a few drops of dimethylmercury penetrated her latex gloves during a routine transfer—despite her strict adherence to all safety protocols known at the time. Crucially, it was not yet known that this compound could permeate latex gloves in seconds. Despite immediate decontamination, the compound's insidious nature meant symptoms appeared only months later – by then, the mercury had irreversibly crossed her blood-brain barrier. Despite aggressive chelation therapy, Wetterhahn fell into a coma and died in June 1997, just 10 months after exposure. Her death fundamentally changed laboratory safety protocols worldwide, revealing that standard latex gloves offer virtually no protection against this compound. Today, dimethylmercury is rarely used, having been replaced by safer alternatives, and its handling requires highly specialized equipment including laminar flow hoods and multiple layers of highly resistant gloves.