ELECTROCHEMISTRY OF GOLD(1) AND ITS COMPLEXES IN ACETONITRILE

Chronopotentiometry, controlled potential coulometry, and potentiometric titrations have been used to investigate the chemical and electrochemical properties of gold(l) in acetonitrile. Electrochemical oxidation of a gold electrode yields gold(l), which gives well defined irreversible cathodic chronopotentiograms which are diffusion controlled. The diffusion coefficient for AuCI2− is 3.3 × 10−5 cm2 sec−1 with 0.1F TEAP as the supporting electrolyte. Potentiometric titrations of the gold(l) ion with various ligands give curves which indicate that the aurous ion is two-coordinate in acetonitrile, and forms complexes with a wide range of stabilities. The β1,2 constants have values from 1011 to 1033 (for the pyridine and cyanide complexes, respectively). © 1968, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.