Significance
Platinum group elements (PGE) are highly valued by many industrial applications, serve as important geochemical tracers of planetary processes, and are among eagerly sought natural resources of critical trace metals. We show here that aqueous sulfur-bearing fluids play a far more important role than believed in many natural and technological processes in which PGE are involved. This role is essentially ensured by the radical sulfur ion S
3
•−
that forms extremely stable and soluble complexes with both Pt
II
and Pt
IV
. By enabling enhanced dissolution, transport, and precipitation of Pt, these species may be key players in PGE transfer, fractionation, and accumulation in the Earth’s crust. They may also offer novel opportunities for optimizing ore processing and nanomaterial synthesis.
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