Nitrogen monofluoride explained

Nitrogen monofluoride (fluoroimidogen) is a metastable species that has been observed in laser studies. It is isoelectronic with O₂. Like boron monofluoride, it is an instance of the rare multiply-bonded fluorine atom.^{[1] [2]} It is unstable with respect to its formal dimer, dinitrogen difluoride, as well as to its elements, nitrogen and fluorine.

Nitrogen monofluoride is produced when radical species (H, O, N, CH₃) abstracts a fluorine atom from nitrogen difluoride (NF₂). Stoichiometrically, the reaction is extremely efficient, regenerating a radical for long-lasting chain propagation. However, radical impurities in the end product also catalyze that product's decomposition. Azide decomposition offers a less-efficient but more pure technique: fluorine azide (which can be formed in situ via reaction of atomic fluorine with hydrazoic acid) decomposes upon shock into NF and N₂.^{[3] [4]}

Many NF-producing reactions give the product in an excited state with characteristic chemiluminescence at 870 and 875 nm (infrared), or at 525–530 nm (green). They have thus been investigated for development as a chemical laser.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Davis . Steven J. . Rawlins . Wilson T. . Piper . Lawrence G. . Feb 1989 . Rate coefficient for the H + NF(a¹Δ) reaction . PDF . The Journal of Physical Chemistry . en . . 93 . 3 . 1078–1082 . 10.1021/j100340a013 . 0022-3654 . MetastableStates.com.
2. Harbison . G. S.. The Electric Dipole Polarity of the Ground and Low-lying Metastable Excited States of NF. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 124. 3. 366–367. 2002. 11792193 . 10.1021/ja0159261.
3. Book: Gmelin-lnstitut für Anorganische Chemie der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften . Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry: F Fluorine: Compounds with Oxygen and Nitrogen . 2013 . Springer Science & Business Media . 9783662063392 . 263–271 . en.
4. Book: Avizonis . Petras V. . Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers . Plenum Press . 2012 . 978-1-4615-7067-7 . Onorato . Michele . 1–19 . Chemically Pumped Electronic Transition Lasers . 10.1007/978-1-4615-7067-7_1.
5. Book: Chemi- and Bioluminescence . John G. . Burr . Rex D. . Kenner . Elmer A. . Ogryzlo . Chemiluminescence in Gas Phase Reactions; 4. NF(a¹Δ) (870, 875 nm) and (b¹Σ⁺) (525–530 nm) . 84–87 . Chemical and Biochemical Analysis . 16 . Dekker . 1985 . 0-8247-7277-6 .