Diboron tetrafluoride explained

Diboron tetrafluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula (BF₂)₂. A colorless gas, the compound has a halflife of days at room temperature. It is the most stable of the diboron tetrahalides, and does not appreciably decompose under standard conditions.

Structure and bonding

Diboron tetrafluoride is a planar molecule with a B-B bond distance of 172 pm. Although it is electron-deficient, the unsaturated boron centers are stabilized by pi-bonding with the terminal fluoride ligands. The compound is isoelectronic with oxalate.

Synthesis and reactions

Diboron tetrafluoride can be formed by treating boron monofluoride with boron trifluoride at low temperatures, taking care not to form higher polymers. Alternatively, diboron tetrachloride can be fluorinated with antimony trifluoride.

Addition of diboron tetrafluoride to Vaska's complex was employed to produce an early example of a transition metal boryl complex:

2B₂F₄ + IrCl(CO)(PPh₃)₂ → Ir(BF₂)₃(CO)(PPh₃)₂ + ClBF₂

Historical literature

• Crystal and Molecular Structure of Diboron Tetrafluoride, B₂F₄ . . J. Chem. Phys. . 28 . 1 . 54–55 . 1958 . 10.1063/1.1744079 . 1958JChPh..28...54T . free .
• Infrared Spectrum of Diboron Tetrafluoride in the Gaseous and Solid States . Gayles, J. N. . Self, J. . Journal of Chemical Physics . 40 . 12 . 3530–3539 . 1964 . 10.1063/1.1725048 . 1964JChPh..40.3530G .
• Diboron tetrafluoride. Part II. Reactions with some oxides and organometallic compounds . A. K. Holliday . F. B. Taylor . J. Chem. Soc. . 2731–2734 . 1964 . 10.1039/JR9640002731.
• Mass-spectrometric study of photoionization. XII. Boron trifluoride and diboron tetrafluoride . Vernon H. Dibeler . Susan K. Liston . J. Chem. Soc. . 7 . 9 . 1742–1746 . 1968 . 10.1021/ic50067a010.

References

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External links

• Diboron tetrafluoride at webelements

Notes and References

1. Diboron Tetrafluoride . . J. Am. Chem. Soc. . 80 . 14 . 3573–3574 . 1958 . 10.1021/ja01547a020.
2. 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00193. Diboron(4) Compounds: From Structural Curiosity to Synthetic Workhorse. 2016. Neeve. Emily C.. Geier. Stephen J.. Mkhalid. Ibraheem A. I.. Westcott. Stephen A.. Marder. Todd B.. Chemical Reviews. 116. 16. 9091–9161. 27434758. free. 1807/78811. free.
3. Advances in Inorganic Chemistry and Radiochemistry. Low Temperature Condensation of High Temperature Species as a Synthetic Method. P. L.. Timms. 143. 1972. Academic Press . 0-12-023614-1. subscription. 10.1016/S0065-2792(08)60006-0.