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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999  > February  >
In the Classroom
Gold Chemistry: The Aurophilic Attraction
Manuel Bardají and Antonio Laguna
Universidad de Zaragoza, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, E-50009 Zaragoza, SPAIN

Cover
February 1999
Vol. 76 No. 2
p. 201

Abstract
Gold, the king of the elements and the dearest metal, shows a unique chemistry. The aurophilic attraction or aurophilia is an empirically found phenomenon consisting of a weak attractive force between gold atoms that is, nevertheless, as strong as hydrogen bonds. This phenomenon produces, inter alia, shorter intramolecular and intermolecular distances than expected between gold centers and unexpected geometries: for instance, some amazing cases of hyper-coordination at oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, or carbon have been found by means of X-ray diffraction studies. Theoretical chemists have rationalized the aurophilic attraction by taking account of relativistic and correlation effects.
More Information
*  Citation
Bardají, Manuel; Laguna, Antonio. J. Chem. Educ. 1999 76 201.
*  Keywords
Inorganic Chemistry; Organometallics; Theoretical Chemistry; Gold
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
June 15, 1999
June 22, 2005
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999 > February > Page 201


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