Gold(III) Selenide

Gold(III) selenide, also known as Au2Se3, is a chemical compound composed of gold and selenium. It has a molecular weight of 791.6 g/mol and a density of 7.62 g/cm³. Gold(III) selenide can be prepared by reacting gold(III) chloride with sodium selenide in water, followed by precipitation with ethanol.

Gold(III) selenide is a semiconductor material with a bandgap of about 1.2 eV. It exhibits p-type conductivity due to the presence of gold vacancies in the crystal lattice. The crystal structure of gold(III) selenide is trigonal, with space group R-3m.

In terms of its physical properties, gold(III) selenide is a black powder that is insoluble in water, but soluble in acids. It is stable at room temperature and is not particularly reactive. However, it may decompose when heated to high temperatures or exposed to certain chemicals.

Gold(III) selenide has potential applications in optoelectronics and photovoltaics due to its semiconducting properties. It may also have uses in catalysis and as a precursor for other gold-selenium compounds.