Au2cl6

Understanding Au₂Cl₆: A Simplified Guide to Gold(III) Chloride

Gold, a precious metal known for its luster and inertness, can surprisingly form compounds that are quite reactive. One such compound is Au₂Cl₆, formally known as gold(III) chloride. While the chemical formula might seem daunting, understanding its structure and properties is achievable with a breakdown of its key features. This article will demystify Au₂Cl₆, providing a clear and accessible explanation of its nature and significance.

1. What is Au₂Cl₆ (Gold(III) Chloride)?

Au₂Cl₆ is the dimeric form of gold(III) chloride. "Dimeric" means it exists as a pair of molecules linked together. Each individual gold(III) chloride unit consists of a gold atom (Au) bonded to three chlorine atoms (Cl). These units are not isolated but rather share chlorine atoms, forming a structure where two gold atoms are bridged by two chlorine atoms. This can be represented as Cl₂Au-Cl-Cl-AuCl₂. The oxidation state of gold in this compound is +3, hence the name gold(III) chloride. It's crucial to distinguish it from gold(I) chloride (AuCl), which has different properties and applications.

Imagine two Lego bricks, each with three studs (representing chlorine atoms) attached. Au₂Cl₆ is like joining these two bricks together by sharing one stud on each. This sharing creates a more stable and less reactive molecule than individual AuCl₃ units would be.

2. Physical Properties of Au₂Cl₆

Au₂Cl₆ is a reddish-brown crystalline solid at room temperature. It's relatively stable in dry air but readily hydrolyzes (reacts with water) to form various gold chloride hydroxides and ultimately gold oxide. This sensitivity to water makes its handling and storage crucial. Its melting point is relatively low, approximately 290°C, at which point it begins to decompose, releasing chlorine gas. This decomposition highlights its reactive nature, particularly under elevated temperatures. Remember that chlorine gas is toxic, so handling Au₂Cl₆ requires careful safety precautions.

3. Chemical Properties and Reactivity of Au₂Cl₆

Au₂Cl₆ is a strong Lewis acid, meaning it readily accepts electron pairs from other molecules. This property is key to many of its chemical reactions. It reacts vigorously with a variety of substances, including water, as mentioned earlier, and also reacts with various reducing agents to form elemental gold. This reduction is often utilized in gold plating and other gold refining processes. It also reacts with organic compounds, forming complexes which can have interesting catalytic properties.

A practical example of its Lewis acidity is its reaction with chloride ions (Cl⁻). This reaction forms tetrachloroaurate(III) ions ([AuCl₄]⁻), a complex anion commonly found in solutions containing gold(III) chloride. This complex formation is exploited in analytical chemistry for the determination of gold.

4. Applications of Au₂Cl₆

The primary use of Au₂Cl₆ is as a precursor to other gold compounds and in various chemical processes. It's crucial in the production of gold-based catalysts used in various organic reactions, including those involved in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals. Its ability to form complexes with various ligands (molecules or ions that bind to the central metal atom) makes it valuable in the creation of tailored materials with specific properties. Gold plating, although often achieved through electrochemical methods, can also utilize gold(III) chloride as a source of gold ions.

5. Safety Precautions When Handling Au₂Cl₆

Due to its reactivity and the toxicity of the products it forms upon decomposition (chlorine gas), handling Au₂Cl₆ requires careful attention to safety protocols. It should be handled in a well-ventilated area, and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, eye protection, and a lab coat, should always be worn. Direct contact with skin or inhalation of the dust should be strictly avoided.

Actionable Takeaways

Au₂Cl₆ is a dimeric form of gold(III) chloride, possessing unique chemical properties.
It's a strong Lewis acid, sensitive to moisture, and reactive with reducing agents.
Its primary applications involve its use as a precursor in gold chemistry, catalysis, and potentially gold plating.
Safe handling requires proper precautions due to its reactivity and the toxicity of decomposition products.

FAQs

1. What is the difference between Au₂Cl₆ and AuCl₃? While AuCl₃ represents a single gold(III) chloride unit, Au₂Cl₆ is the dimeric form, where two AuCl₃ units are linked together via chlorine bridging. Au₂Cl₆ is the form most commonly encountered in solid state.

2. Is Au₂Cl₆ soluble in water? While it is technically soluble to some extent, it readily reacts with water, undergoing hydrolysis and forming various gold chloride hydroxides. It doesn't dissolve in the same way a typical ionic salt would.

3. How is Au₂Cl₆ synthesized? It can be synthesized by reacting gold metal with chlorine gas under controlled conditions.

4. What are the environmental concerns associated with Au₂Cl₆? Its reactivity and potential for forming toxic chlorine gas upon decomposition necessitate careful handling and disposal to prevent environmental contamination.

5. Are there any biological applications of Au₂Cl₆? Although less common than other gold compounds, research explores Au₂Cl₆'s potential in targeted drug delivery and specific medical applications. However, its toxicity limits its widespread use in this area.

Search Results:

autalkHO.ppt AuCl3 – commercially available source of Au(III); exists as a dimer(Au2Cl6) with μ-Cl L's

Radiolysis-Driven Evolution of Gold Nanostructures Model … ation of gold nanostructures in tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl4) is comprehensively investi. novel technique to simulate arbitrary kinetic models for radiochemistry, we provide a holist. experimentally relevant threshold for g. ld reduction during LP-TEM exists and that radiation- nduced metal-ion reduction is relevant even for experiments utilizing

Effects of diglyme on Au nanocluster formation: Mechanism, H … mechanism of the diglyme-assisted nanocluster growth have not been examined. In this work, we use density functional theory (DFT) to propose a plausible pathway for diglyme-assisted Au(I)-thiolate synthesis; the reaction energies are found to be negative in every step. 1H NMR calculations are applied to characterize how the environment arising ...

PII: S1369-8001(02)00057-4 In principle, gold can be etched in chlorine-containing plasmas consisting of Cl2 and/or BCl3; leading to volatile Au2Cl6; but many precautions have to be taken since the vapor pressure of AuCl3 (which dimerizes to Au2Cl6 as vapor) is very low [20].3 Moreover, it easily decomposes at elevated temperatures to the monochloride, which has an even ...

Charge transfer doping of graphene without degrading carrier … The position of Au2Cl6 units on the graphene layer is allowed to vary to minimize the total energy. Figure 2(c) shows the band structure of isolated pure Au2Cl6 in the hexagonal lattice.

CHAPTER 4 Zeolites have been used as supports for loading Au nanoparticles, and a range of methods have been developed to prepare Au/Y-type zeolite catalysts: (i) Au2Cl6 was used by Ichikawa to prepare Au(I)/NaY via a solid-vapour reaction [51-53], (ii) Fraissard and coworkers [54, 55] used [Au(en)2]Cl3 to prepare Au/NaY via a cation exchange process ...

investigation of structural motifs in gold complexes gold complexes tend to form an Au···Au interaction. This bond length measures about 300-350 pm and is comparable in bond strength to the gas phase dimer.5 The noble nature of gold, as evident from its low reactivity with oxygen, sulphur and aqueous bases, is due to the low oxidation potential and small radius of metal.6 However, it has been ...

The Lewis acidities of gold(I) and gold(III) derivatives: a ... - Springer Regarding their structures, it is known that in the solid state, AuCl forms chains resulting in a rock salt structure [24 –26] while AuCl3 forms a dimer (Au2Cl6) [27].

No Job Name Molecular models and numbering of atoms in AuCl3 (ground state and transition state), Au2Cl6 in planar and distorted tetrahedral coordination, AuCl4- in planar and tetrahedral coordination, and Au2-Cl2 dimer.

Static and Dynamic Structure of AU C1 , AUA1C1 and AuFeCl … In the present work we evaluate the equilibrium structures and the vibrational spectra of the Au2Cl6, AUA1C16, and AuFeCl6molecules by means of a mi- croscopic ionic model.

Metallocene Analogs of Copper, Gold, and Palladium Derived … Abstract: Sandwich-bonded complexes of copper, gold, and palladium using the (3)-l,2-dicarbollide ligand, B9C2Hn2-, have been prepared and characterized. These complexes are of the type M^(B9C2Hn)2"-4 and are formally analogous to the bis(7r-cyclopentadienyl)metallocenes.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Gold - Springer The chlorine bridges of AU2Cl6 (see Figure 2-2) are easily broken by many neutral ligands (L) to give complexes, e.g., [LAuCh] -. With easily oxi dized ligands, AU2Cl6 may act as a chlorinating agent.

查看排版注意事项请打开: 菜单栏工具→自定义→工具栏选项卡→ … Structure of intermediates in various Au2Cl6-IL systems during energy profile calculation.

Behaviorofgoldandnon-ferrousmetalsduringlow-tempera ... characteristic property of gold chlorides is metastability, which is used to separate gold from other non-ferrous metals [19]. for reaction (4) suggest that the only stable compound in the gas phase is Au2Cl6(g). The formation of other gaseous gold chlorides such as Au2Cl2, AuCl2, and AuCl can h

Untitled-1 [dllw9tb09659t.cloudfront.net] auric chloride, is a chemical molecular formula Au2Cl6, simpli cation, referring to the empirical related chloride of gold, gold(I) HAuCl4, the product formed when sometimes referred to as "gold Gold(III) chloride is very water as well as ethanol.

High Temperature Vaporization Chemistry in the Gold-Chlorine … Transpiration vapor pressure measurements in the Au-Cu-Cl, Ag-Cu-Cl, and Ag-Fe-Cl systems showed significant enhancement of the vapor pressure of Au2Cl2(g) or AgCl(g) in the presence of Cu3Cl3(g) or FeCls(g). This indicates the for mation of …

Ionic Liquids Coordinated Au Catalysts for Acetylene The stability and geometry structures of the common IL cations and Au2Cl6 complex are performed. Then, the different Au2Cl6-IL catalyzed reaction pathways were explored and activity energies...

Characterization, Synthesis And Stabilization Of AU Based … this work. Figure 1.12 Conversion of acetylene (black) and selectivity to vinyl chloride (red) 95 hour run for 1 weight percent Au/C at a GHSV of 4500 hr-1 The concentration of Au3+ on the surface, and retardation of reduction to Au0, is of great interest to many research groups as it is believed that AuCl3 or the Au2Cl6 dimer

In situ K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy of the ligand … A KAuCl4 (black solid line), Au2Cl6 (blue solid line) and AuCl (red solid line). labelled as A, B and C, were observed in the XANES spectra of the catalysts with varying relative intensity.

PCCP - RSC Publishing the co0adsorption configurations of both reactants, acetylene and hydrogen chloride, were studied on Au2Cl6 with the pyridinic N0doped support so as to disclose the reason that the N0doped carbon support can enhance the stability of Au0based catalysts. This work provided a useful guidance on modulating the stability of active gold species via the