Aucl3

The chemical compound AuCl3, also known as gold(III) chloride, is a coordination complex consisting of one gold ion (Au3+) and three chloride ions (Cl-). It has a trigonal planar shape and belongs to the space group P-3m1.

AuCl3 can be prepared by reacting gold with aqua regia (a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid) or by direct chlorination of gold. It is a yellow-orange solid that is highly soluble in water, ethanol, and acetone.

In its crystalline form, AuCl3 exists as a dimer, where two AuCl3 units are connected by two bridging chloride ligands. Each gold center is coordinated to four chlorine atoms in a square-planar arrangement, with bond lengths between 2.25 and 2.29 Å.

AuCl3 has various applications in industry and research, including as a catalyst in organic synthesis, as a precursor for gold nanoparticles, and as a staining agent for biological samples. It is also used in the production of gold-plated jewelry and as an etchant for electronic circuits.