Gold chalcogenides

Gold chalcogenides are compounds formed between gold and one of the chalcogens, elements from group 16 of the periodic table: oxygen, sulfur, selenium, or tellurium.


 * Gold(III) oxide, Au2O3. Decomposes into gold and oxygen above 160 °C, and dissolves in concentrated alkalis to form solutions which probably contain the [Au(OH)4]&minus; ion
 * Gold(I) sulfide, Au2S. Formed by reaction of hydrogen sulfide with gold(I) compounds.
 * Gold(III) sulfide, Au2S3, claimed material but unsubstantiated.
 * Gold tellurides: Au2Te3, Au3Te5, and AuTe2 (approximate formulas) are known as non-stoichiometric compounds. They show metallic conductivity. Au3Te5 is a superconductor at 1.62 K.

Gold telluride minerals, such as calaverite and krennerite (AuTe2), petzite (Ag3AuTe2), and sylvanite (AgAuTe2), are minor ores of gold (and tellurium). See telluride minerals for more information.