Chloryl fluoride is the

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 ClO₂F. It is commonly encountered as side-product in reactions of

chlorine fluorides A chlorine fluoride is an interhalogen compound containing only chlorine and fluorine. {, class="wikitable" , - ! ! ClF ! ClF3 ! ClF5 , - , Systematic name , Chlorine monofluoride , Chlorine trifluoride , Chlorine pentafluoride , - ...

with oxygen sources. It is the acyl fluoride of

chloric acid Chloric acid, H Cl O3, is an oxoacid of chlorine, and the formal precursor of chlorate salts. It is a strong acid ( p''K''a ≈ −2.7 (''***note: pKa not in agreement with properties in chem box at right'')) and oxidizing agent. Properties Chlo ...

Preparation

ClO₂F was first reported by Schmitz and Schumacher in 1942, who prepared it by the fluorination of ClO₂. The compound is more conveniently prepared by treatment of sodium chlorate and chlorine trifluoride and purified by vacuum fractionation, i.e. selectively condensing this species separately from other products. This species is a gas boiling at −6 °C: :6 NaClO₃ + 4 ClF₃ → 6 ClO₂F + 2 Cl₂ + 3 O₂ + 6 NaF

Structure

In contrast to O₂F₂, ClO₂F is a pyramidal molecule. This structure is predicted by

VSEPR Valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory ( , ), is a model used in chemistry to predict the geometry of individual molecules from the number of electron pairs surrounding their central atoms. It is also named the Gillespie-Nyholm the ...

. The differing structures reflects the greater tendency of chlorine to exist in positive oxidation states with oxygen and fluorine ligands. The related Cl-O-F compound

perchloryl fluoride Perchloryl fluoride is a reactive gas with the chemical formula . It has a characteristic sweet odor that resembles gasoline and kerosene. It is toxic and is a powerful oxidizing and fluorinating agent. It is the acid fluoride of perchloric acid. ...

, ClO₃F, is tetrahedral. The related bromine compound ''bromyl fluoride'' (BrO₂F) adopts the same structure as ClO₂F, whereas ''iodyl fluoride'' (IO₂F) forms a polymeric substance under standard conditions.

References

External links

WebBook page for ClO2F
{{fluorine compounds Chloryl compounds Oxyfluorides Fluorides Nonmetal halides Gases Substances discovered in the 1940s