Berkelium(III) fluoride is a binary

inorganic compound An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds⁠that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''. Inorgan ...

berkelium Berkelium is a synthetic chemical element; it has symbol Bk and atomic number 97. It is a member of the actinide and transuranium element series. It is named after the city of Berkeley, California, the location of the Lawrence Berkeley National ...

and

fluorine Fluorine is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol F and atomic number 9. It is the lightest halogen and exists at Standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions as pale yellow Diatomic molecule, diatomic gas. Fluorine is extre ...

with the chemical formula .

Synthesis

The compound can be prepared by treating with a gaseous mixture of and HF at 600 °C.

Physical properties

Berkelium trifluoride forms a yellow-green solid with two structures. At low temperature, it is orthorhombic ( structure), with lattice parameters a = 670 pm, b = 709 pm, and c = 441 pm. At high temperature, it is trigonal ( structure), with lattice parameters a = 697 pm and c = 714 pm. The transition temperature of is between 350 and 600 °C.

Chemical properties

Berkelium trifluoride is reduced by

lithium Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the ...

to obtain metallic berkelium: ::

References

{{Actinide halides Fluorides Berkelium compounds Actinide halides