Gold(II) sulfate explained

Gold(II) sulfate is the chemical compound with the formula or more correctly . This compound was previously thought to be a mixed-valent compound as Au^IAu^III(SO₄)₂. But later, it was shown that it contained the diatomic cation, which made it the first simple inorganic gold(II) compound. The bond distance between the gold atoms in the diatomic cation is 249 pm.^{[1] [2]}

Production and properties

Gold(II) sulfate is produced by reaction of sulfuric acid and gold(III) hydroxide. Gold(II) sulfate is unstable in air and oxidizes to hydrogen disulfoaurate(III).

Notes and References

1. Wickleder . Mathias S. . 10.1002/1521-3749(200109)627:9<2112::AID-ZAAC2112>3.0.CO;2-2 . 2001 . AuSO₄: A True Gold(II) Sulfate with an Au₂⁴⁺ Ion . Journal of Inorganic and General Chemistry . 627 . 2112–2114 . 9.
2. Book: Wickleder, Mathias S. . Handbook of chalcogen chemistry: new perspectives in sulfur, selenium and tellurium . Francesco A. . Devillanova . Royal Society of Chemistry . 2007 . 978-0-85404-366-8 . 359–361 .