Silver(I,III) oxide

Silver(I,III) oxide
IUPAC name silver(I,III) oxide
Other names silver peroxide, argentic oxide, silver suboxide, divasil
Identifiers
CAS number	1301-96-8 Y
Properties
Molecular formula	AgO Ag2O.Ag2O3
Molar mass	123.87 g/mol
Appearance	grey-black powder diamagnetic
Density	7.48 g/cm3
Melting point	>100 °C, decomposition
Solubility in water	.0027 g/100 mL
Solubility	soluble in alkalies
Y oxide (verify) (what is: Y/N?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Silver(I,III) oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula AgO. It is a component of silver oxide-zinc alkaline batteries. It can be prepared by the slow addition of a silver(I) salt to a persulfate solution e.g. AgNO₃ to a Na₂S₂O₈ solution.^[1] It adopts an unusual structure, being a mixed-valence compound.^[2]

Structure

The empirical formula AgO might suggest that silver is in the +2 oxidation state, however, AgO is diamagnetic. X-ray diffraction studies show that silver atoms adopt two different coordination environments, one having two collinear oxide neighbours and the other four coplanar oxide neighbours.^[1]. AgO is therefore formulated as Ag^IAg^IIIO₂^[3] or Ag₂O·Ag₂O₃. It is also known as silver peroxide, although it does not have peroxide (O₂²⁻) anions.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Wells A.F. (1984) Structural Inorganic Chemistry 5th edition Oxford Science Publications ISBN 0-19-855370-6
2. ^ David Tudela "Silver(II) Oxide or Silver(I,III) Oxide?" J. Chem. Educ., 2008, volume 85, p 863. doi: 10.1021/ed085p863
3. ^ Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0080379419.  p. 1181.