Why is AuCl4 an anion?

[Redriq1]

Hello there can anybody provide an explanation of why AuCl4 is an anion when Au [III] is dative covalent bonded with 4 Chlorine ligands, i don't understand why AuCl4 is an anion when there is no ionic bonding happening here. Thanks!!!

 

[Borek]

No idea why you think it should be otherwise, you start with somethin that is +3 charged and combine it with 4 -1 charges, no way it can produce anything but anion.

Lack of ionic bonding doesn't matter - SO_42- is also an anion despite not having ionic bonding.

Or is your question why it doesn't end at neutral AuCl₃? Well, it can, it is called auric chloride then. But even then gold is surrounded by four ligands, that's they way coordination chemistry works, it is just that the fourth ligand is either shared with a neighbor, or replaced by water molecule, in both cases it ends with a zero charge.

I feel like there is some misconception here.

 

[Redriq1]

No idea why you think it should be otherwise, you start with somethin that is +3 charged and combine it with 4 -1 charges, no way it can produce anything but anion.

Lack of ionic bonding doesn't matter - SO_42- is also an anion despite not having ionic bonding.

Or is your question why it doesn't end at neutral AuCl₃? Well, it can, it is called auric chloride then. But even then gold is surrounded by four ligands, that's they way coordination chemistry works, it is just that the fourth ligand is either shared with a neighbor, or replaced by water molecule, in both cases it ends with a zero charge.

I feel like there is some misconception here.

Ohhh i get it now, yeah i think i misunderstood it earlier.
I do have one more question though why was the Gold [III] was attracting 4 chlorine in the first place why not just 3 to even the charge? (im talking about AuCl4)
Is it because it has something to do about Gold being a transition metal?

 

[Mayhem]

Ohhh i get it now, yeah i think i misunderstood it earlier.
I do have one more question though why was the Gold [III] was attracting 4 chlorine in the first place why not just 3 to even the charge? (im talking about AuCl4)
Is it because it has something to do about Gold being a transition metal?

Both AuCl₃ and [AuCl₄]^- exist.

Chemistry principles get funky when you get to the third row metals (where Au sits) so I can't comment on why exactly, but it would appear that [AuCl₄]^- is prepared under rather extreme chemical conditions (aqua regia), where an excess of Cl^- and H⁺ are present. So it is "neutral" in that sense, as it nominally speciates as H[AuCl₄].