Gallium(III) fluoride ( Ga F₃) is a

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

. It is a white solid that melts under pressure above 1000 °C but sublimes around 950 °C. It has the FeF₃ structure where the gallium atoms are 6-coordinate. GaF₃ can be prepared by reacting F₂ or HF with Ga₂O₃ or by thermal decomposition of (NH₄)₃GaF₆.Anthony John Downs, (1993), ''Chemistry of Aluminium, Gallium, Indium, and Thallium'', Springer, GaF₃ is virtually insoluble in water. Solutions of GaF₃ in HF can be evaporated to form the trihydrate, GaF₃·3H₂O, which on heating gives a hydrated form of GaF₂(OH). Gallium(III) fluoride reacts with

mineral acid A mineral acid (or inorganic acid) is an acid derived from one or more inorganic compounds, as opposed to organic acids which are acidic, organic compounds. All mineral acids form hydrogen ions and the conjugate base when dissolved in water. Cha ...

s to form

hydrofluoric acid Hydrofluoric acid is a Solution (chemistry), solution of hydrogen fluoride (HF) in water. Solutions of HF are colourless, acidic and highly Corrosive substance, corrosive. It is used to make most fluorine-containing compounds; examples include th ...

References

Further reading