 | |
| Names | |
|---|---|
| Other names Difluorotetraoxidane | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| |
| |
| Properties | |
| O4F2 | |
| Molar mass | 101.993 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | red-brown solid (at < −191 °C) |
| Melting point | −191 °C (−311.8 °F; 82.1 K) |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in theirstandard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
Tetraoxygen difluoride is an inorganicchemical compound of oxygen, belonging to the family ofoxygen fluorides. It consists of two O2F units bound together with a weak O-O bond, and is the dimer of the O2F radical.[1]
Tetraoxygen difluoride can be prepared in two steps. In the first step, a photochemically generated fluorine atom reacts with oxygen to form the dioxygen fluoride radical.[1]
This radical subsequently undergoes dimerization, entering an equilibrium with tetraoxygen difluoride at temperatures under −175 °C:[1]
At the same time, the dioxygen fluoride radicals decompose intodioxygen difluoride and oxygen gas, which shifts the above equilibrium with O4F2 to the left.[2]
Tetraoxygen difluoride is dark red-brown as asolid and has a melting point around −191 °C.[1]
It is a strong fluorinating and oxidizing agent, even stronger thandioxygen difluoride, so that it can, for example, oxidize Ag(II) to Ag(III) or Au(III) to Au(V). This process creates the corresponding anions AgF-
4 and AuF-
6. With non-noble substances this oxidation can lead to explosions even at low temperatures. As an example,elemental sulfur reacts explosively to formsulfur hexafluoride even at −180 °C.[1]
Similar to [O2F]• or O2F2, tetraoxygen difluoride tends to form salts with thedioxygenyl cation O+
2 when it reacts with fluoride acceptors such asboron trifluoride (BF3). In the case of BF3, this leads to the formation of O2+•BF4−:[1]
Similarly, forarsenic pentafluoride it reacts to create O2+AsF6−.[1]
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