Zinc fluoride
Zinc fluoride is an inorganic chemical compound with the chemical formula. It is encountered as the anhydrous form and also as the tetrahydrate, . It has a high melting point and has the rutile structure containing 6 coordinate zinc, which suggests appreciable ionic character in its chemical bonding. Unlike the other zinc halides, [Zinc chloride|], [Zinc bromide|] and [Zinc iodide|], it is not very soluble in water.
Like some other metal difluorides, crystallizes in the rutile structure, which features octahedral Zn cations and trigonal planar fluorides.
Preparation and reactions
Zinc fluoride can be synthesized several ways.- The reaction of zinc metal with fluorine gas.
- Reaction of hydrofluoric acid with zinc, to yield hydrogen gas and zinc fluoride.
The salt is believed to form both a tetrahydrate and a dihydrate.