Actinium(III) fluoride explained

Actinium(III) fluoride (AcF₃) is an inorganic compound, a salt of actinium and fluorine.

Synthesis

Actinium fluoride can be prepared in solution or by a solid-state reaction. In the first method, actinium hydroxide is treated with hydrofluoric acid and the product precipitates:^[1]

Ac(OH)3 + 3HF -> AcF_3(v) + 3H2O

In the solid-state reaction, actinium metal is treated with hydrogen fluoride gas at 700 °C in a platinum crucible.^{[2] [3]}

Properties

Actinium fluoride is a white solid that reacts with ammonia at 900–1000 °C to yield an actinium oxyfluoride:

AcF3 + 2NH3 + H2O -> AcOF + 2NH4F

While lanthanum oxyfluoride is easily formed by heating lanthanum fluoride in air, a similar treatment merely melts actinium fluoride and does not yield AcOF.^{[2] [3]}

Notes and References

1. Book: Haire, Richard G. . The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements. Morss. Norman M.. Edelstein. Fuger. Jean. Springer Science+Business Media. 2006. 1-4020-3555-1. Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 3rd. 36. Actinium.
2. 10.1021/ja01158a034. The Preparation and Identification of Some Pure Actinium Compounds. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 72. 2. 771. 1950. Fried. Sherman. Hagemann. French. Zachariasen. W. H..
3. Meyer, Gerd and Morss, Lester R. (1991) Synthesis of lanthanide and actinide compounds. Springer. . pp. 87–88