Trifluoromethylsulfur pentafluoride, CF₃SF₅, is a rarely used industrial

greenhouse gas A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorbs and Emission (electromagnetic radiation), emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse ...

. It was first identified in the atmosphere in 2000. Trifluoromethylsulfur pentafluoride is considered to be one of the several "super-greenhouse gases".

Properties

The chemistry of this compound is similar to that of

sulfur hexafluoride Sulfur hexafluoride or sulphur hexafluoride (British spelling) is an inorganic compound with the formula SF6. It is a colorless, odorless, non- flammable, and non-toxic gas. has an octahedral geometry, consisting of six fluorine atoms attached ...

(SF₆).

As a greenhouse gas

On a per molecule basis, it is considered to be the most potent greenhouse gas present in Earth's atmosphere, having a

global warming potential Global warming potential (GWP) is the heat absorbed by any greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, as a multiple of the heat that would be absorbed by the same mass of carbon dioxide (). GWP is 1 for . For other gases it depends on the gas and the time f ...

of about 18,000 times that of

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...

. The chemical is predicted to have a lifetime of 800 years in the atmosphere. However, the current concentration of trifluoromethylsulfur pentafluoride remains at a level that is unlikely to measurably contribute to

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

. The presence of the gas in the atmosphere is attributed to

anthropogenic Anthropogenic ("human" + "generating") is an adjective that may refer to: * Anthropogeny, the study of the origins of humanity Counterintuitively, anthropogenic may also refer to things that have been generated by humans, as follows: * Human im ...

sources, possibly a by-product of the manufacture of fluorochemicals, originating from reactions of SF₆ with fluoropolymers used in electronic devices and in microchips, or the formation can be associated with

high voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant spec ...

equipment created from SF₆ (a breakdown product of high voltage equipment) reacting with CF₃ to form the CF₃SF₅ molecule.

References

{{reflist Greenhouse gases Trifluoromethyl compounds Sulfur fluorides Hypervalent molecules