Diphosphorus tetrafluoride is a gaseous compound of

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol P and atomic number 15. All elemental forms of phosphorus are highly Reactivity (chemistry), reactive and are therefore never found in nature. They can nevertheless be prepared ar ...

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 formula . Two fluorine atoms are connected to each phosphorus atom, and there is a bond between the two phosphorus atoms. Phosphorus can be considered to have

oxidation state In chemistry, the oxidation state, or oxidation number, is the hypothetical Electrical charge, charge of an atom if all of its Chemical bond, bonds to other atoms are fully Ionic bond, ionic. It describes the degree of oxidation (loss of electrons ...

+2, as indicated by the name phosphorus difluoride.

Production

Diphosphorus tetrafluoride was discovered in 1966 by Max Lustig, John K. Ruff and Charles B. Colburn at the Redstone Research Laboratories. The initial synthesis reacted phosphorus iododifluoride with mercury at room temperature: :

Properties

The P−P bond in diphosphorus tetrafluoride is much stronger than the corresponding N−N bond in dinitrogen tetrafluoride which easily breaks into nitrogen difluoride. The infrared spectrum has absorption at 842 cm⁻¹, 830 cm⁻¹, 820 cm⁻¹, and weaker at 408 cm⁻¹ and 356 cm⁻¹. The molecule has C_2h symmetry.

Reactions

Under ultraviolet light diphosphorus tetrafluoride reacts with

alkyne \ce \ce Acetylene \ce \ce \ce Propyne \ce \ce \ce \ce 1-Butyne In organic chemistry, an alkyne is an unsaturated hydrocarbon containing at least one carbon—carbon triple bond. The simplest acyclic alkynes with only one triple bond and n ...

s connected to trifluoromethyl groups to add difluorophosphino (-) groups on each side of a double bond. Other kinds of alkynes produced polymers with this treatment. With

alkene In organic chemistry, an alkene, or olefin, is a hydrocarbon containing a carbon–carbon double bond. The double bond may be internal or at the terminal position. Terminal alkenes are also known as Alpha-olefin, α-olefins. The Internationa ...

s, similarly bis(difluorophosphino) is added across the double bond. Diphosphorus tetrafluoride reacts with diborane to yield another gas which does not condense above −85°C. This decomposes to yet another gas and a polymer with formula PF. Diphosphorus tetrafluoride reacts with oxygen or water to yield diphosphorus tetrafluoride oxide, which has one oxygen atom inserted between the two phosphorus atoms: : The latter compound is a gas with boiling point around −18 °C.

References

{{Reflist Phosphorus fluorides Phosphorus(II) compounds