Bismuth pentafluoride is an
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 ...
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. It reacts vigorously with water to form
ozone
Ozone () (or trioxygen) is an Inorganic compound, 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 , break ...
and
oxygen difluoride, 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; their odor is usually faint, and may b ...
) to
fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbons are chemical compounds with carbon-fluorine bonds. Compounds that contain many C-F bonds often have distinctive properties, e.g., enhanced stability, volatility, and hydrophobicity. Several fluorocarbons and their derivatives are ...
s 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>−.
Bismuth pentafluoride in hydrofluoric acid solvent also reacts with nickel fluoride to form the nickel salt of this anion, which can be incorporated into a complex with acetonitrile.
References
{{fluorine compounds
Bismuth compounds
Fluorides
Metal halides
Oxidizing agents
Fluorinating agents
Inorganic polymers
Coordination polymers