Diboron tetrafluoride is the

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 (BF₂)₂, classed as a tetrahalodiborane. A colorless gas, the compound has a halflife of days at room temperature. It is the most stable of the diboron tetrahalides, and does not appreciably decompose under standard conditions.

Structure and bonding

Diboron tetrafluoride is a planar molecule with a B-B bond distance of 172 pm. Although it is electron-deficient, the unsaturated boron centers are stabilized by pi-bonding with the terminal fluoride ligands. The compound is

isoelectronic Isoelectronicity is a phenomenon observed when two or more molecules have the same structure (positions and connectivities among atoms) and the same electronic configurations, but differ by what specific elements are at certain locations in th ...

with

oxalate Oxalate (systematic IUPAC name: ethanedioate) is an anion with the chemical formula . This dianion is colorless. It occurs naturally, including in some foods. It forms a variety of salts, for example sodium oxalate (), and several esters such as ...

Synthesis and reactions

Diboron tetrafluoride can be formed by treating

boron monofluoride Boron monofluoride or fluoroborylene is a chemical compound with the formula BF, one atom of boron and one of fluorine. It is an unstable gas, but it is a stable ligand on transition metals, in the same way as carbon monoxide. It is a subhalide, ...

with

boron trifluoride Boron trifluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula . This pungent, colourless, and toxic gas forms white fumes in moist air. It is a useful Lewis acid and a versatile building block for other boron compounds. Structure and bonding The g ...

at low temperatures, taking care not to form higher polymers. Alternatively, diboron tetrachloride can be fluorinated with

antimony trifluoride Antimony trifluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula SbF3. Sometimes called Swarts' reagent, it is one of two principal fluorides of antimony, the other being SbF5. It appears as a white solid. As well as some industrial applications, ...

. Addition of diboron tetrafluoride to Vaska's complex was employed to produce an early example of a transition metal boryl complex: :2B₂F₄ + IrCl(CO)(PPh₃)₂ → Ir(BF₂)₃(CO)(PPh₃)₂ + ClBF₂

Historical literature

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References

External links

Diboron tetrafluoride at webelements
{{Fluorine compounds Fluorides Boron compounds Nonmetal halides Boron halides