Bromine monofluoride is a quite unstable interhalogen compound with the chemical formula BrF. It can be produced through the reaction of

bromine trifluoride Bromine trifluoride is an interhalogen compound with the formula BrF3. At room temperature, it is a straw-coloured liquid with a pungent odor which decomposes violently on contact with water and organic compounds. It is a powerful fluorinating a ...

(or

bromine pentafluoride Bromine pentafluoride, Br F5, is an interhalogen compound and a fluoride of bromine. It is a strong fluorinating agent. BrF5 finds use in oxygen isotope analysis. Laser ablation of solid silicates in the presence of BrF5 releases O2 for subs ...

) and

bromine Bromine is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a similarly coloured vapour. Its properties are intermediate between th ...

. Due to its lability, the compound can be detected but not isolated: :BrF₃ + Br₂ → 3 BrF :BrF₅ + 2 Br₂ → 5 BrF :Br_2(l) + F_2(g) → 2 BrF_(g) It is usually generated in the presence of

caesium fluoride Caesium fluoride (cesium fluoride in American English) is an inorganic compound with the formula CsF. A hygroscopic white salt, caesium fluoride is used in the synthesis of organic compounds as a source of the fluoride anion. The compound is no ...

. Bromine monofluoride decomposes at normal temperature through dismutation to bromine trifluoride, bromine pentafluoride, and free bromine. The molecular structure in the gas phase was determined by microwave spectroscopy; the bond length is ''r''_e = 1.758981(50) Å. The bond length in a cocrystal with methylchloride is 1.822(2) Å; the lengthening relative to the free molecule is due to an interaction of the type F-Br···ClMe with a distance of 2.640(1) Å.

References

Fluorides Bromine(I) compounds Interhalogen compounds Diatomic molecules {{Inorganic-compound-stub

See also

References