Oxygen difluoride

Difluoride

Colorless gas with a disagreeable odor

Gaseous

2.42 g · l -1 ( 0 ° C)

-223.8 ° C

-144.8 ° C

Poorly in water with slow decomposition

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Oxygen difluoride is a fluoride of oxygen with the formula OF2. It belongs to the oxygen fluorides and is one of very few substances occurring in the oxygen with a positive oxidation number. The name difluoride for this compound sometimes used is incorrect, because oxygen has a negative oxidation number in oxides.

Production and representation

About Oxygen difluoride was first reported in 1929, it was shown in the electrolysis of molten potassium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride in water. Nowadays, oxygen difluoride is obtained by passing fluorine with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide solution:

Properties

Oxygen difluoride is one of the strongest known oxidizing agent capable of oxidizing the noble gas xenon even to xenon tetrafluoride ( XeF4 ):

Dissolved in water, oxygen difluoride reacts with water to form hydrogen fluoride and oxygen ( comproportionation ):

It condenses at -144.8 ° C in an orange liquid that reminds her of the structure of water. The bond angle enclosed by the two - OF bond, is 103 °, the bond length of the OF bond respectively 140.5 pm.

Use

Oxygen difluoride has been studied as an oxidant for rocket propellants because it provides a high specific impulse (for example, with lithium hydride 4112 m / s )

Safety

Due to its extremely strong oxidizing effect of oxygen difluoride is a dangerous for human and animal material. After inhalation, it produces severe breathing difficulties, often used only after several hours and last for hours.