Fulminating Gold may be prepared by reaction of auric chloride, AuCl3, with aqueous ammonia, NH4OH. The explosive precipitate is mostly (ClAuNH2)2NH,
but on washing with excess ammonia, there is hydrolysis to more explosive form, with an olive-green color, in which gold atoms are complexed to amine
groups in a square planar configuration, and in which some of the amine groups cross-link between two gold atoms. The exact structure is not known,
and the crystals appear to be amorphous. The more explosive form does not appear to contain chlorine. Fulminating gold explodes with a violet cloud of
gold particles. Fulminating gold a dangerously sensitive explosive, and tends to be much more sensitive to friction than to impact. It is thermally
stable up to 200 °C, and decomposes at 210 °C often with explosion. |