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Bromine trifluoride is a toxic, colorless, and corrosive liquid with a pungent choking smell that is soluble in sulfuric acid but explodes on contact with water and organic compounds. Vapors severely irritate and may burn the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. The liquid burns all human tissue and causes severe damage.

Bromine trifluoride (BrF 3 ) has a liquid range similar to water (Mp = 8.8 °C and Bp = 127 °C), and like water it auto ionizes, [link] .

The products, like those of water’s self-ionization, are an acid (BrF 2 + ) and a base (BrF 4 - ). However, unlike water, BrF 3 reacts with fluoride acids and bases not proton acids and bases. Thus, in BrF 3 a base is a salt that provides F - , i.e., potassium fluoride (KF) is a base in BrF 3 solution in the same manner as potassium hydroxide (KOH) is a base in water. The product from the reaction of a fluoride donor salt with BrF 3 is the formation of the conjugate base, BrF 4 - , [link] .

Other examples of this type of reaction include:

By analogy, an acid in BrF 3 solution is a compound that acts as a fluoride (F - ) acceptor, i.e., a Lewis acid, [link] .

What are the products from the reaction of HF with BrF 3 ?

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Bromine trifluoride as a fluorinating agent

Bromine trifluoride is a strong fluorinating agent that is able to convert a metal (e.g., vanadium) to its associated fluoride compound, (i.e., VF 5 ). A wide range of salts and oxides may be converted to fluorides with the metal in a high oxidation state. However, it should be noted that BeO, MgO, and Al 2 O 3 form oxo fluorides rather than the fluoride.

The reaction of silver with BrF 3 yields the monofluoride, while the same reaction with gold yields the trifluoride, Eq. If the reactions are combined in BrF 3 solution a mixed metal fluoride salt is formed, [link] .

A similar reaction occurs with NOCl and V 2 O 5 , [link] .

What are the products from the reaction of BrF 3 with (a) Sb 2 O 5 , (b) KCl, and (c) a mixture of Sb 2 O 5 and KCl?

(a) SbF 5 , (b) KF, and (c) K[SbF 6 ].

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Bibliography

  • J. H. Simons, Inorg. Synth. , 1950, 3 , 184.

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Source:  OpenStax, Chemistry of the main group elements. OpenStax CNX. Aug 20, 2010 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11124/1.25
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