Gold(III) oxide (Au₂O₃) is an

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 ...

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

and

oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...

with the formula Au₂O₃. It is a red-brown solid that decomposes at 298 °C. According to

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 ...

, AuO features square planar gold centers with both 2- and 3-coordinated oxides. The four Au-O bond distances range from 193 to 207

picometer The picometre (international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: pm) or picometer ( American spelling) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to , or one trillionth o ...

s. The crystals can be prepared by heating amorphous hydrated gold(III) oxide with

perchloric acid Perchloric acid is a mineral acid with the formula H Cl O4. It is an oxoacid of chlorine. Usually found as an aqueous solution, this colorless compound is a stronger acid than sulfuric acid, nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. It is a powerful oxid ...

and an

alkali metal The alkali metals consist of the chemical elements lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K),The symbols Na and K for sodium and potassium are derived from their Latin names, ''natrium'' and ''kalium''; these are still the origins of the names ...

perchlorate A perchlorate is a chemical compound containing the perchlorate ion, , the conjugate base of perchloric acid (ionic perchlorate). As counterions, there can be metal cations, quaternary ammonium cations or other ions, for example, nitronium cat ...

in a sealed

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...

tube at a temperature of around 250 °C and a pressure of around 30 MPa.

References

External links

* Gold(III) compounds Sesquioxides {{inorganic-compound-stub Transition metal oxides Crystals in space group 43