Fluoromethylidyne Explained

Fluoromethylidyne is not a stable chemical species but a metastable radical containing one highly reactive carbon atom bound to one fluorine atom with the formula CF.^[1] The carbon atom has a lone-pair and a single unpaired (radical) electron in the ground state.^[2]

Ground-state fluoromethylidyne radicals can be produced by the ultraviolet photodissociation of dibromodifluoromethane at 248 nanometer wavelength.^[3]

It readily and irreversibly dimerises to difluoroacetylene, also known as difluoroethyne, perfluoroacetylene, or di- or perfluoroethylyne. Under certain conditions it can hexamerise to hexafluorobenzene.

See also

• Carbyne

Notes and References

1. F. J. Grieman . A. T. Droege . P. C. Engelking . March 1983 . The a⁴Σ⁻–X²Π transition in CF: A measurement of the term energy and bond length of a fluoromethylidyne metastable . Journal of Chemical Physics . 78 . 5 . 2248–2254 . 10.1063/1.445070 .
2. Ruzsicska, B. P. . Jodhan, A. . Choi, H. K. J.. Strausz, O. P. . Bell, T. N. . Chemistry of carbynes: reaction of CF, CCl, and CBr with alkenes . J. Am. Chem. Soc. . 105 . 1983 . 8 . 2489–2490 . 10.1021/ja00346a072 .
3. J. Peeters . J. Van Hoeymissen . S. Vanhaelemeersch . D. Vermeylen . February 1992 . Absolute rate constant measurements of CF(X²Π) reactions. 1. Reactions with O₂, F₂, Cl₂ and NO . Journal of Physical Chemistry . 96 . 3 . 1257–1263 . 10.1021/j100182a043.