A new mercury-alanine complex has been isolated from reaction mixtures of mercurous nitrate dihydrate and alanine (L and D enantiomers). The solid-state structure contains mercury(I) and mercury(II) associated by alanine ligands in a polymeric array. The disproportionation of mercury(I) to mercury(II) and mercury(0) was facilitated by alanine and is evidenced by the appearance of mercury(0) in reactions of mercury(I) with the 20 common amino acids, This complex is the first mercury(I)-amino acid complex characterized in the solid state. The compounds have been comprehensively characterized using X-ray crystallography, solid-state and solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopies, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.