Chloryl fluoride


Chloryl fluoride is the chemical compound with the formula. This compound is a gas boiling at −6 °C. It is commonly encountered as side-product in reactions of chlorine fluorides with oxygen sources. It is the acyl fluoride of chloric acid.

Preparation

was first reported by Schmitz and Schumacher in 1942, who prepared it by the fluorination of [chlorine dioxide|]. The compound is more conveniently prepared by reaction of sodium chlorate and chlorine trifluoride and purified by vacuum fractionation, i.e. selectively condensing this species separately from other products.

Structure

In contrast to [Dioxygen difluoride|], is a pyramidal molecule as predicted by VSEPR. 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,, is tetrahedral.
The related bromine compound bromyl fluoride adopts the same structure as, whereas iodyl fluoride forms a polymeric substance under standard conditions.

Precautions

Rocket fuel chemist John Drury Clark reported in his book Ignition! that chloryl fluoride "is indecently reactive, and the hardest to keep of all the CI-O-F compounds, since it apparently dissolves the protective metal fluoride coatings that make the storage of comparatively simple."