Aqua regia’s ability to dissolve gold and platinum stems from its unique chemical properties, particularly its strong oxidizing power, which allows it to break down the noble metal structures and facilitate their dissolution.
What makes aqua regia one of the few reagents capable of dissolving gold and platinum?
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Aqua regia stands out as one of the few reagents capable of dissolving gold and platinum due to its unique combination of strong acids. The mixture of concentrated nitric acid (HNO₃) and concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) creates a potent and versatile solvent. Nitric acid serves as a powerful oxidizing agent, breaking down the protective oxide layers on noble metals like gold and platinum. Hydrochloric acid then forms soluble metal chloride complexes, allowing the metals to dissolve. The synergistic effects of oxidation and complexation make aqua regia uniquely effective, providing a rare capability to dissolve these noble metals that resist most individual reagents.