Oxygen difluoride
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| Oxygen difluoride | |
|---|---|
| Image:Oxygen-difluoride-2D.png | |
| Other names | difluorine monoxide fluorine monoxide oxygen difluoride oxygen fluoride hypofluorous anhydride |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [7783-41-7] |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | OF2 |
| Molar mass | 53.9962 g mol−1 |
| Melting point |
−224 °C |
| Boiling point |
−145 °C |
| Solubility in other solvents | 68 mL gaseous OF2 in 1 L (0 °C)[1] |
| Thermochemistry | |
| Std enthalpy of formation ΔfH | 24.5 kJ mol−1 |
| Related Compounds | |
| Related compounds | O2F2 NHF2 NF3 SCl2 |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references | |
Oxygen difluoride is the chemical compound with the formula OF2. As predicted by VSEPR theory, the molecule adopts a bent structure like H2O, but it has very different properties, being a strong oxidant.
Preparation
Oxygen difluoride was first reported in 1929; it was obtained by the electrolysis of molten potassium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid containing small quantities of water.[1][1] The modern preparation entails the reaction of fluorine with a dilute aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide:
- 2F2 + 2NaOH → OF2 + 2NaF + H2O
Reactions
Its powerful oxidizing properties are suggested by the oxidation number of +2 for the oxygen atom, which is unusual. Above 200 °C, OF2 decomposes to oxygen and fluorine via a radical mechanism.
OF2 reacts with many metals to yield oxides and fluorides. Nonmetals also react: phosphorus reacts with OF2 to form PF5 and POF3; sulfur gives SO2 and SF4; and unusually for a noble gas, xenon reacts, yielding XeF4 and xenon oxyfluorides.
Oxygen difluoride reacts very slowly with water to form hydrofluoric acid:
- OF2(aq) + H2O(aq) → 2HF(aq) + O2(g)
Popular culture
In Robert L. Forward's science fiction novel Camelot 30K, oxygen difluoride was used as a biochemical solvent by fictional life forms living in the solar system's Kuiper belt.
Safety
OF2 is a dangerous chemical, as is the case for any strongly oxidizing gas.
References
External links
- National Pollutant Inventory - Flouride and compounds fact sheet
- WebBook page for OF2cs:Difluorid kyslíku
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
