Platinum 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 chemical formula . In the solid state, the compound features platinum(IV) in

octahedral coordination geometry In chemistry, octahedral molecular geometry, also called square bipyramidal, describes the shape of compounds with six atoms or groups of atoms or ligands symmetrically arranged around a central atom, defining the vertices of an octahedron. The oc ...

Preparation

The compound was first reported by

Henri Moissan Ferdinand Frédéric Henri Moissan (; 28 September 1852 – 20 February 1907) was a French chemist and pharmacist who won the 1906 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in isolating fluorine from its compounds. Among his other contributions, Mo ...

by the

fluorination In chemistry, halogenation is a chemical reaction which introduces one or more halogens into a chemical compound. Halide-containing compounds are pervasive, making this type of transformation important, e.g. in the production of polymers, drugs. ...

of platinum metal in the presence of

hydrogen fluoride Hydrogen fluoride (fluorane) is an Inorganic chemistry, inorganic compound with chemical formula . It is a very poisonous, colorless gas or liquid that dissolves in water to yield hydrofluoric acid. It is the principal industrial source of fluori ...

. A modern synthesis involves thermal decomposition of

platinum hexafluoride Platinum hexafluoride is the chemical compound with the formula Pt F6, and is one of seventeen known binary hexafluorides. It is a dark-red volatile solid that forms a red gas. The compound is a unique example of platinum in the +6 oxidation sta ...

Properties

Platinum tetrafluoride vapour at 298.15 K consists of individual molecules. The enthalpy of sublimation is 210 kJmol⁻¹. Original analysis of powdered PtF₄ suggested a

tetrahedral molecular geometry In a tetrahedral molecular geometry, a central atom is located at the center with four substituents that are located at the corners of a tetrahedron. The bond angles are arccos(−) = 109.4712206...° ≈ 109.5° when all four substituents are ...

, but later analysis by several methods identified it as octahedral, with four of the six fluorines on each platinum bridging to adjacent platinum centres.

Reactions

A solution of platinum tetrafluoride in water is coloured reddish brown, but it rapidly decomposes, releasing heat and forming an orange coloured

platinum dioxide Platinum is a chemical element; it has symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

hydrate precipitate and fluoroplatinic acid. When heated to a red hot temperature, platinum tetrafluoride decomposes to platinum metal and fluorine gas. When heated in contact with glass,

silicon tetrafluoride Silicon tetrafluoride or tetrafluorosilane is a chemical compound with the formula Si F4. This colorless gas is notable for having a narrow liquid range: its boiling point is only 4 °C above its melting point. It was first prepared in 1771 ...

gas is produced along with the metal. Platinum tetrafluoride can form adducts with

selenium tetrafluoride Selenium tetrafluoride ( Se F4) is an inorganic compound. It is a colourless liquid that reacts readily with water. It can be used as a fluorinating reagent in organic syntheses (fluorination of alcohols, carboxylic acids or carbonyl compounds) an ...

and

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 ...

. Volatile crystalline adducts are also formed in combination with BF₃, PF₃, BCl₃, and PCl₃.

Related compounds

The fluoroplatinates are salts containing the PtF₆²⁻ ion. Fluoroplatinic acid H₂PtF₆ forms yellow crystals that absorb water from the air. Ammonium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, and rare earth including lanthanum fluoropalatinate salts are soluble in water. Potassium, rubidium, caesium, and barium salts are insoluble in water.

References

{{Fluorides Fluorides,4 Fluorides Platinum group halides