Copper(I) hydroxide is the

inorganic compound An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds⁠that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''. Inorgan ...

with the chemical formula of CuOH. Little evidence exists for its existence. A similar situation applies to the monohydroxides of gold(I) and silver(I). Solid CuOH has been claimed however as an unstable yellow-red solid. The topic has been the subject of theoretical analysis. Copper(I) hydroxide would also be expected to easily oxidise to

copper(II) hydroxide Copper(II) hydroxide is the hydroxide of copper with the chemical formula of Cu(OH)2. It is a pale greenish blue or bluish green solid. Some forms of copper(II) hydroxide are sold as "stabilized" copper(II) hydroxide, although they likely consist ...

: : It would also be expected to rapidly dehydrate: : Solid CuOH would be of interest as a possible intermediate in the formation of

copper(I) oxide Copper(I) oxide or cuprous oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is one of the principal oxides of copper, the other being copper(II) oxide or cupric oxide (CuO). The compound can appear either yellow or red, depending on the size ...

(Cu₂O), which has diverse applications, e.g. applications in solar cells.

Solid CuOH

Theoretical calculations predict that CuOH would be stable. Specifically, the dissociation of Cu(OH)₂⁻ leading to CuOH is subject to an energy of 62 ± 3 kcal/mol. : Without evidence for its existence, CuOH has been invoked as a catalyst in organic synthesis

Gaseous CuOH

Gaseous CuOH has been characterized spectroscopically using intracavity laser spectroscopy, single vibronic level emission, and microwave spectroscopic detection. CuOH is calculated to be bent, with the point group C_s. In this case, the bond distance of the Cu-O bond was 1.818 Å and the bond distance of the O-H bond was 0.960 Å. The bond angle for this geometry was 131.9°. The compound is highly ionic in character, which is why this angle is not exactly 120°. Structural parameters for linear CuOH have also been examined computationally.

Ligand-stabilized Cu(I) hydroxides

Although simple CuOH compounds are fairly elusive or restricted to the gas-phase within

spectrometer A spectrometer () is a scientific instrument used to separate and measure Spectrum, spectral components of a physical phenomenon. Spectrometer is a broad term often used to describe instruments that measure a continuous variable of a phenomeno ...

s, some derivatives are well characterized. Specifically cuprous hydroxides have been prepared using bulky NHC co-ligands. In addition to Cu(IPr)OH, the dimer (as its salt)) and the aquo complex (as its ) have been characterized by

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science of determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to Diffraction, diffract in specific directions. By measuring th ...

References

{{Hydroxides Copper(I) compounds Hydroxides