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Nobler than the Noblest: Noncubic Gold Microcrystallites
Author(s) -
Mettela Gangaiah,
Kouser Summayya,
Sow Chaitali,
Pantelides Sokrates T.,
Kulkarni Giridhar U.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201804541
Subject(s) - aqua regia , copper , chemistry , materials science , nanotechnology , metallurgy , metal
Conventional gold comprising the cubic lattice is universally known for its stability. However, well known to chemists and metallurgists, this nobility is challenged by reagents such as aqua regia, which dissolve gold to form a salt solution. Among metals, mercury blends with gold to form amalgam, otherwise transition metals such as copper tend to interact with gold surfaces in electrochemical media. Herein, we report a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the stability of Au microcrystallites bearing unconventional crystal lattices that exhibit enhanced stability towards Hg and aqua regia and practically no interaction with Cu during electroless plating. The unconventional gold is undoubtedly nobler.