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. dissolves in concentrated alkalis to form solutions which probably contain the [Au(OH)₄]⁻ ion
• Gold(I) sulfide, Au₂S. formed by passing [[hydrogen sulfide through solutions of gold(I) compounds
• Gold(III) sulfide, Au₂S₃. unstable in the presence of water
• Gold tellurides: Au₂Te₃, Au₃Te₅ and AuTe₂ are known as non-stoichiometric compounds. they show metallic conductivity. Au₃Te₅ is a superconductor at very low temperatures.

References

Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997). Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd Edition, Oxford:Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4.