Surely you have heard of Gold(I) chloride on more than one occasion, since its relevance and impact in different areas has made it a topic of general interest. Since its emergence, Gold(I) chloride has captured the attention of researchers, professionals and enthusiasts, who constantly seek to learn more about its origins, evolution and effects. In this article, we will thoroughly explore everything related to Gold(I) chloride, from its background to its current status, with the goal of better understanding its influence and reach in our society.
| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
Gold(I) chloride
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| Other names
Aurous chloride
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| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol)
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| ChEBI | |
| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.030.583 |
PubChem CID
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| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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| Properties | |
| AuCl | |
| Molar mass | 232.423 g/mol |
| Appearance | yellow solid |
| Density | 7.6 g/cm3 [1] |
| Melting point | 170 °C (338 °F; 443 K) |
| Boiling point | 298 °C (568 °F; 571 K) (decomposes) |
| very slightly soluble | |
| Solubility | soluble in HCl, HBr organic solvents |
| −67.0·10−6 cm3/mol | |
| Structure | |
| Tetragonal, tI16 | |
| I41/amd, No. 141 | |
| Hazards | |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | MSDS |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C , 100 kPa).
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Gold(I) chloride is a compound of gold and chlorine with the chemical formula AuCl.
Gold(I) chloride is prepared by thermal decomposition of gold(III) chloride.
Although there is a region of stability at higher temperatures at the appropriate chlorine vapor pressures, the compound is metastable at ambient conditions. When heated with water, the compound dispropotionates to metallic gold and gold(III) chloride in an autoredox reaction:
At still higher temperatures, around 500 °C, all gold chlorides convert to gold. This conversion is key to the Miller process, which is widely used for the purification of gold.[2]
Reaction with potassium bromide yields potassium auric bromide and potassium chloride with separation of metallic gold:
Gold(I) chloride may irritate the skin and eyes, damage kidney function, and reduce white blood cell counts.