Bismuth pentafluoride is an
inorganic compound with the formula BiF
5. It is a white solid that is highly reactive. The compound is of interest to researchers but not of particular value.
Structure
BiF
5 is polymeric and consists of linear chains of ''trans''-bridged corner sharing BiF
6 octahedra.
This is the same structure as
''α''-UF5.
Preparation
BiF
5 can be prepared by treating BiF
3 with F
2 at 500 °C.
:BiF
3 + F
2 → BiF
5
In an alternative synthesis,
ClF3 is the fluorinating agent at 350 °C.
:BiF
3 + ClF
3 → BiF
5 + ClF
Reactions
Bismuth pentafluoride is the most reactive of the pnictogen pentafluorides and is an extremely strong
fluorinating agent
In chemistry, halogenation is a chemical reaction that entails the introduction of one or more halogens into a compound. Halide-containing compounds are pervasive, making this type of transformation important, e.g. in the production of polyme ...
. It reacts vigorously with water to form
ozone
Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the lo ...
and
oxygen difluoride
Oxygen difluoride is a chemical compound with the formula . As predicted by VSEPR theory, the molecule adopts a "bent" molecular geometry. It is strong oxidizer and has attracted attention in rocketry for this reason. With a boiling point of -144.7 ...
, and with iodine or sulfur at room temperature. BiF
5 fluorinates
paraffin oil (
hydrocarbons
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic, and their odors are usually weak or e ...
) to
fluorocarbons above 50 °C and oxidises
UF4 to
UF6 at 150 °C. At 180 °C, bismuth pentafluoride fluorinates
Br2 to
BrF3 and
Cl2 to
ClF.
BiF
5 also reacts with alkali metal fluorides, MF, to form hexafluorobismuthates, M
iF6 containing the hexafluorobismuthate anion,
iF6sup>−.
References
{{fluorine compounds
Bismuth compounds
Fluorides
Metal halides
Oxidizing agents
Fluorinating agents
Inorganic polymers
Coordination polymers