Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Formation of Complex Ions

Formation of Complex Ions

A type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules like H2O or NH3, or ions such as CN− or OH−. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom. These types of Lewis acid-base reactions are examples of a broad subdiscipline called coordination...

Precipitation Reactions

Precipitation Reactions

In a precipitation reaction, aqueous solutions of soluble salts react to give an insoluble ionic compound – the precipitate. The reaction occurs when oppositely charged ions in solution overcome their attraction for water and bind to each other, forming a precipitate that separates out from the solution. Since such reactions involve the exchange of ions between ionic compounds in aqueous solution, they are also referred to as double displacement, double replacement, exchange reactions, or...

Concentration Cells

Concentration Cells

A concentration cell is a type of a voltaic cell constructed by connecting two almost identical half-cells, both based on the same half-reaction and using the same electrode, differing only in the concentration of one redox species. A concentration cell's potential, therefore, is determined only by the concentration difference of the particular redox species.
Consider the following voltaic cell:

Voltaic/Galvanic Cells

Voltaic/Galvanic Cells

Spontaneous Chemical Reactions
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...

Solubility of Ionic Compounds

Solubility of Ionic Compounds

Solubility is the measure of the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved in a given quantity of solvent at a given temperature and pressure. Solubility is usually measured in molarity (M) or moles per liter (mol/L). A compound is termed soluble if it dissolves in water.

Molar Mass

Molar Mass

The identity of a substance is defined not only by the types of atoms or ions it contains but by the quantity of each type of atom or ion. For example, water, H2O, and hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, are alike in that their respective molecules are composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. However, because a hydrogen peroxide molecule contains two oxygen atoms, as opposed to the water molecule, which has only one, the two substances exhibit very different properties.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules: 70 Years with Fascinating Chemistry.

Chemical record (New York, N.Y.)·2025

Same author

Sydnone Photochemistry: Formation of Nitrenes.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2025

Same author

The Gold-Maker of Animal Oil and Prussian Blue Fame - The Chemical and Medicinal Science Philosophy of Johann Conrad Dippel.

Chemical record (New York, N.Y.)·2025

Same author

The Sweet Spirits of the Mineral Acids: Diethyl Ether, Ethyl Nitrite, and Chloroethane. Late Medieval-Early Modern Organic Chemistry.

Chemical record (New York, N.Y.)·2024

Same author

Nitrile Imine Cyclizations and Rearrangements: <i>N</i>-Phenyl-<i>C</i>-styrylnitrile Imine and <i>N</i>-Phenyl-<i>C</i>-phenylethynylnitrile Imine.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2024

Same author

The Transition from Alchemical to Modern Chemical Symbolism: from Bergman and Guiton de Morveau to Hassenfratz and Adet, Higgins, Richter, Dalton, and Berzelius.

ChemPlusChem·2024

Same journal

A Domino-Synthesized Dicoordinate Copper(I) Bis-imidazopyridine Complex Triggering Cuproptosis/Ferroptosis for Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same journal

Mirror-Symmetric Organic Two-Dimensional Crystals for Alternative Photon Transport Pathways.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same journal

Cobalt-Catalyzed Migratory E-Selective Asymmetric Aza-Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi Coupling.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same journal

Facile Synthesis of α,ω-Dihydroxy Telechelic Macromonomers From Ethylene and α-Olefins for Recyclable Alternating Block Copolymers.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same journal

Multi-Atom Sub-Nanometer Assemblies on Interpenetrating Multi-Chambered N/C Nanospheres.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same journal

A Synergistic C<sub>2+</sub> Alcohols/Olefins-Intermediated Pathway Boosts CO<sub>2</sub> Hydrogenation to Aromatics.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Fabrication of Thin Film Silver/Silver Chloride Electrodes with Finely Controlled Single Layer Silver Chloride

Fabrication of Thin Film Silver/Silver Chloride Electrodes with Finely Controlled Single Layer Silver Chloride

Published on: July 1, 2020

Fulminating Gold and Silver.

¹School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)

|June 5, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This essay explores the explosive properties of fulminating gold and silver compounds. Historically, alchemists sought to use these compounds to create a tincture for transmuting metals and curing illnesses.

Keywords:

Aurum potabile alchemy argent fulminant aurum fulminans iatrochemistry

More Related Videos

Hydroquinone Based Synthesis of Gold Nanorods

Hydroquinone Based Synthesis of Gold Nanorods

Published on: August 10, 2016

Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

Published on: July 10, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Fabrication of Thin Film Silver/Silver Chloride Electrodes with Finely Controlled Single Layer Silver Chloride

Fabrication of Thin Film Silver/Silver Chloride Electrodes with Finely Controlled Single Layer Silver Chloride

Published on: July 1, 2020

Hydroquinone Based Synthesis of Gold Nanorods

Hydroquinone Based Synthesis of Gold Nanorods

Published on: August 10, 2016

Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

Published on: July 10, 2021

Area of Science:

Historical Chemistry
Alchemy
Explosive Compounds

Background:

Fulminating gold and silver are highly explosive compounds.
Their preparation involves reacting gold or silver compounds with ammonia.
These substances fascinated alchemists from the 16th to 18th centuries.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the historical significance and properties of fulminating gold and silver.
To understand alchemists' attempts to utilize these compounds for transmutation and medicinal purposes.

Main Methods:

Review of historical alchemical texts and preparations.
Analysis of the chemical reactions involved in creating fulminating gold and silver.
Discussion of the likely composition of early preparations (e.g., gold chlorides).

Main Results:

Fulminating gold and silver are readily synthesized using ammonia.
Alchemists extensively documented preparations and attempted to create volatile gold compounds.
These efforts were driven by the desire for a universal panacea and metal transmutation.

Conclusions:

Fulminating compounds represent a significant, albeit dangerous, area of historical chemical investigation.
Alchemists' pursuit of these substances highlights early attempts at chemical manipulation for profound goals.
The compounds, likely gold chlorides, were central to alchemical theories of healing and transformation.