Silver: Inorganic & Coordination ChemistryBased in part on the article Silver: Inorganic & Coordination Chemistry by W. Ewen Smith which appeared in the Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry, First Edition .

Abstract

Abstract The present review is a complete rewrite of the original article in the first edition. The new version provides concise and up‐to‐date information on the inorganic and coordination compounds of silver in oxidation states ranging from subvalent to Ag(IV). Literature coverage is extended to October 2004, and pertinent references are listed for the convenience of the interested reader. The presentation is organized under the following headings: 1. Introduction; 2. Subvalent silver compounds; 3. Silver(I) compounds (under subheadings: 3.1 Halides and pseudohalides; 3.2 Phosphorus donor ligands; 3.3 Nitrogen donor ligands; 3.4 Oxygen donor ligands; 3.5 Chalcogen donor ligands; 3.6 Silver‐rich compounds); 4. Silver(II) compounds; 5. Silver(III) and silver(IV) compounds; 6. Catalysis. The structural features of the compounds are described, and specific examples are illustrated with five figures. For the most important +1 oxidation state of silver, particular emphasis is placed on recent highlights and advances in new areas such as double and multiple salts of silver, silver(I) polyhedra with encapsulated acetylenediide (C 2 2− ) species (symbolized as C 2 @Ag n ), argentophilic Ag(I)⋯Ag(I) interaction in supramolecular assembly, halide‐centered Ag n cages, mixed‐metal clusters, and silver‐rich chalcogenide supercluster complexes. Modern application of inorganic silver catalysts, of both achiral and chiral types, to organic synthesis is presented with selected examples from the recent literature.