Tin(IV) fluoride 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 ...

tin Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (from la, stannum) and atomic number 50. Tin is a silvery-coloured metal. Tin is soft enough to be cut with little force and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, t ...

and

fluorine Fluorine is a chemical element with the symbol F and atomic number 9. It is the lightest halogen and exists at standard conditions as a highly toxic, pale yellow diatomic gas. As the most electronegative reactive element, it is extremely reacti ...

with the

chemical formula In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, ...

SnF₄ and is a white solid with a melting point above 700 °C. SnF₄ can be prepared by the reaction of tin metal with fluorine gas: :Sn + 2F₂ → SnF₄ However, a passivating metal fluoride layer will be created and the surface will eventually become unreactive. An alternative synthesis is the reaction of SnCl₄ with anhydrous

hydrogen fluoride Hydrogen fluoride (fluorane) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . This colorless gas or liquid is the principal industrial source of fluorine, often as an aqueous solution called hydrofluoric acid. It is an important feedstock i ...

: :SnCl₄ + 4HF → SnF₄ + 4HCl With alkali metal fluorides (e.g. KF) hexafluorostannates are produced (e.g.K₂SnF₆), which contain the octahedral SnF₆²⁻ anion. SnF₄ behaves as a

Lewis acid A Lewis acid (named for the American physical chemist Gilbert N. Lewis) is a chemical species that contains an empty orbital which is capable of accepting an electron pair from a Lewis base to form a Lewis adduct. A Lewis base, then, is any sp ...

and adducts L₂·SnF₄ and L·SnF₄ have been produced.

Structure

Unlike the other tin tetrahalides,

tin(IV) chloride Tin(IV) chloride, also known as tin tetrachloride or stannic chloride, is an inorganic compound with the formula Sn Cl4. It is a colorless hygroscopic liquid, which fumes on contact with air. It is used as a precursor to other tin compounds. It w ...

tin(IV) bromide Tin(IV) bromide is the chemical compound SnBr4. It is a colourless low melting solid. SnBr4 can be prepared by reaction of the elements at normal temperatures: :Sn + 2Br2 → SnBr4 In aqueous solution Sn(H2O)64+ is the principal ionic species ...

, and

tin(IV) iodide Tin(IV) iodide, also known as stannic iodide, is the chemical compound with the formula SnI4. This tetrahedral molecule crystallizes as a bright orange solid that dissolves readily in nonpolar solvents such as benzene. The compound is usually pr ...

, which contain tetrahedrally coordinated tin, tin(IV) fluoride contains planar layers of octahedrally coordinated tin, where the octahedra share four corners and there are two terminal, unshared, fluorine atoms ''

trans Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom * ''Trans'' (film ...

'' to one another.Inorganic Chemistry aperback2d Edition, Housecroft, Sharpe,2004, Pearson Education , The melting point of SnF₄ is much higher (700 °C) than the other tin(IV) halides which are relatively low melting, ( SnCl₄, −33.3 °C; SnBr₄, 31 °C; SnI₄, 144 °C). The structure can also be contrasted with the tetrafluorides of the lighter members of group 14, ( CF₄, SiF₄ and GeF₄) which in the solid state form molecular crystals.

References

{{fluorine compounds Fluorides Tin(IV) compounds Metal halides

Structure

See also

References