We have investigated the thermal decomposition of the mercurocuprate phases HgBa2
Ca2
Cu3
O8+
, HgBa2
CuO4+
and (Hg0.8
Re0.2
)Sr2
CuO4+
. In each compound, decomposition is initiated by the breaking of weak Hg-O bonds, but is driven to completion by the formation of thermodynamically stable barium carbonate phases (BaCO3
, BaCuO2
.(CO3
)x
). We show that the barium-free mercurocuprate (Hg0.8
Re0.2
)Sr2
CuO4+
is significantly more thermally stable than HgBa2
CuO4+
, allowing heat treatments at temperatures of at least 800 °C for moderate periods of time and with only very minor decomposition observed. Further, the mechanism of decomposition for the Ba-free compound appears to be kinetically controlled, not suffering from the thermodynamic sinks (highly thermodynamically stable barium carbonates) available to Ba-based compounds.
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