Scientists accidentally discover that gold is a 'reactive metal' - Earth.com

[Larry T.]

Gold hydrate:

https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-that-gold-is-reactive-metal-by-creating-gold-hydride-in-lab-experiment/ 

Best Regards,

[René]

Thanks Larry

The earth.com article unwisely says:

"The discovery challenges gold’s reputation as a nearly inert metal and shows how extreme conditions can push familiar materials into unfamiliar forms."

Well, no, (1) the discovery that gold can form a hydride at a pressure above 5,801,510 psi and a temperature of 2200 K in no way challenges gold's status as a nearly inert metal; (2) that extreme conditions such as these can push familiar materials into unfamiliar forms is nothing new.

I further see that the formation of gold hydride at high pressure was reported over 40 years ago, in 1983 (pp. 722–725):

René