Gold(I) cyanide
{{Chembox
|ImageFile=Structure of AuCN (ICSD CollCode85782).png
|OtherNames=Gold monocyanide
|Section3={{Chembox Structure
| CrystalStruct= hexagonal
| SpaceGroup= P6mm (No. 183)
| LattConst_a= 340 pm
}}
|Section1={{Chembox Identifiers
| CASNo= 506-65-0
| CASNo_Ref = {{Cascite|correct|PubChem}}
| ChemSpiderID = 61479
| EC_number = 208-049-1
| PubChem = 68172
| StdInChI=1S/CN.Au/c1-2;/q-1;+1
| StdInChIKey = IZLAVFWQHMDDGK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
|SMILES=[Au+].[C-]#N
}}
|Section2={{Chembox Properties
| Appearance= dark yellow powder{{Sigma-Aldrich|Aldrich|id=254088|Name=Gold(I) cyanide, 99.9% trace metals basis|Abruf=2013-04-05}}
|Au=1|C=1|N=1
|MeltingPt=
|BoilingPt=
| Solubility= insoluble
}}
|Section7={{Chembox Hazards
| GHSPictograms = {{GHS06}}{{GHS09}}
| GHSSignalWord = Danger
| HPhrases = {{H-phrases|300|310|330|410}}
| PPhrases = {{P-phrases|}}
}}
|Section8={{Chembox Related
|OtherCations=Copper(I) cyanide
Silver cyanide
|OtherCompounds=Gold(III) cyanide
}}
}}
Gold(I) cyanide is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula AuCN. It is the binary cyanide of gold(I). It is an odourless, tasteless yellow solid.Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 1888: [https://www.peter-hug.ch/lexikon/goldcyanid Goldcyanid] Wet gold(I) cyanide is unstable to light and will become greenish. Gold(I) cyanide itself is only of academic interest, but its derivative dicyanoaurate is an intermediate in gold cyanidation, the extraction of gold from its ores.{{cite book|doi=10.1002/14356007.a08_159.pub3 |chapter=Cyano Compounds, Inorganic |title=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry |date=2011 |last1=Gail |first1=Ernst |last2=Gos |first2=Stephen |last3=Kulzer |first3=Rupprecht |last4=Lorösch |first4=Jürgen |last5=Rubo |first5=Andreas |last6=Sauer |first6=Manfred |last7=Kellens |first7=Raf |last8=Reddy |first8=Jay |last9=Steier |first9=Norbert |last10=Hasenpusch |first10=Wolfgang |isbn=978-3-527-30385-4 }}
Preparation
Solid gold(I) cyanide precipitates upon reaction of potassium dicyanoaurate with hydrochloric acid:
:{{chem2|K[Au(CN)2] + HCl -> AuCN + HCN + KCl}}
It can also be produced by the reaction of gold(III) chloride and potassium cyanide.
Reactions
The solid dissolves to form water-soluble adducts with a variety of ligands: cyanides, hydroxide, ammonia, thiosulfate and hydrosulfide.
Like most gold compounds, it converts to metallic gold upon heating.{{cn|date=May 2022}}
Structure
Gold(I) cyanide's is a coordination polymer consisting of linear chains of AuCN such that each Au(I) center is bonded to carbon and nitrogen. The structure is hexagonal with the lattice parameters a = 3.40 Å and c = 5.09 Å. T{{cite journal| doi=10.1021/ic9714697| title=Crystal Structures of AuCN and AgCN and Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies of AuCN, AgCN, and CuCN| year=1998| last1=Bowmaker| first1=Graham A.| last2=Kennedy| first2=Brendan J.| last3=Reid| first3=Jason C.| journal=Inorganic Chemistry| volume=37| issue=16| pages=3968–3974| pmid=11670511}}