Gold (III) chloride

Gold (III) chloride (gold trichloride) is a binary inorganic chemical compound of gold and chlorine, with the chemical formula AuCl3.

Some properties:

Appearance: red crystals (anhydrous), golden-yellow crystals (monohydrate).
Density: 4.7 g/cm³.
Solubility in water: 68 g/100 ml (at 20 °C).
Solubility: soluble in ether and ethanol, slightly soluble in liquid ammonia, insoluble in benzene.
Melting point: 160 °C (decomposes).
Preparation: most often prepared by passing gaseous chlorine over gold powder at a temperature of 180 °C. It can also be obtained by reacting gold powder with iodine monochloride.

Applications: gold (III) chloride is the starting point for the chemical synthesis of many other gold compounds. The substance is in demand in metallurgy and the chemical industry, and is used in the manufacture of radio engineering and high-precision equipment.

Important: gold (III) chloride is a hazardous substance; safety measures must be observed when working with it.