Sciencemadness Discussion Board

How to create a gold mirror?

fluorescence - 5-2-2019 at 09:39

Has anyone ever successfully made a gold mirror in a test tube, much like the silver Tollens reaction does?

I understand that it really depends on your reducing agent as gold will be much more easily reduced. And you can't prepare that soluble ammine complex like with silver.

I found one description that used AuCl3 in combination with Ethanol / Acetaldehyde and Glucose to get a slow reaction. But it would never mirror out at all.

Perhaps some of you guys has an idea.

wg48 - 6-2-2019 at 00:35

The following Review of Electroless Gold Deposition Processes may be useful to you
Attachment: Review ofElectroless Gold Deposition Processes.pdf (4.4MB)
This file has been downloaded 657 times

Chemetix - 6-2-2019 at 01:11

What do you actually want to achieve? You can use a flame to vapour deposit gold onto glass or you can use a standard lustre paint to fire it on to either glass or ceramic. There is electrodeposition onto a suitably prepared surface as well. No point going into details until we get some idea about the objective you wish to accomplish.

j_sum1 - 6-2-2019 at 01:22

I am going to answer that question for myself, Chemetix. I have always fancied samples of Cu, Ag and Au for my element collection: identical test tubes with the metal mirror inside and ampouled shut to avoud dust and damage.

Ag is well documented. Cu and Ag less so.