Vanadium(V) oxytrifluoride 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 ...

with the

formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwee ...

V O F₃. It is one of several vanadium(V) oxyhalides. VOF₃ is a yellowish orange powder that is sensitive to moisture. Characteristic of early metal fluorides, the structure is polymeric in the solid state. The solid adopts a layered structure but upon evaporation, the species becomes dimeric. In contrast VOCl₃ and VOBr₃ remain tetrahedral in all states, being volatile liquids at room temperature. In

organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one o ...

, VOF₃ is often used for the oxidative coupling of

phenol Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group () bonded to a hydroxy group (). Mildly acidic, it req ...

ic rings, for example in the syntheses of vancomycin and its analogues. For these applications VOF₃ is typically dissolved in

trifluoroacetic acid Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is an organofluorine compound with the chemical formula CF3CO2H. It is a structural analogue of acetic acid with all three of the acetyl group's hydrogen atoms replaced by fluorine atoms and is a colorless liquid with a ...

References

Oxyfluorides Vanadium(V) compounds Vanadyl compounds {{inorganic-compound-stub