Dichloridobis(1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione-κ2N,N′)mercury(II)

In the title compound, [HgCl2(C12H6N2O2)2], the HgII atom is located on a twofold rotation axis and exists within a distorted octa­hedral geometry defined by a cis-Cl2N4 donor set. Mol­ecules are connected into layers in the ac plane via extensive C—H⋯Cl contacts as each Cl atom forms two such inter­actions. Contacts between the layers are of the type C=O⋯π [O⋯centroid distance = 3.110 (8) A].