Zinc fluoride explained

Zinc fluoride is an inorganic chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is encountered as the anhydrous form and also as the tetrahydrate, (rhombohedral crystal structure).^[1] It has a high melting point and has the rutile structure containing 6 coordinate zinc, which suggests appreciable ionic character in its chemical bonding. Unlike the other zinc halides, , and , it is not very soluble in water.

Like some other metal difluorides, crystallizes in the rutile structure, which features octahedral Zn cations and trigonal planar fluorides.^[2]

Preparation and reactions

Zinc fluoride can be synthesized several ways.

• The reaction of zinc metal with fluorine gas.
• Reaction of hydrofluoric acid with zinc, to yield hydrogen gas and zinc fluoride .

Zinc fluoride can be hydrolysed by hot water to form the zinc hydroxide fluoride, Zn(OH)F.^[3]

The salt is believed to form both a tetrahydrate and a dihydrate.

External links

• Web site: Zinc Fluoride . .

Notes and References

1. Book: Perry, D. L. . Phillips, S. L. . 1995 . Handbook of Inorganic Compounds . CRC Press . 0-8493-8671-3 .
2. 10.1021/ja01650a005. The Crystal Structure of MnF₂, FeF₂, CoF₂, NiF₂ and ZnF₂. J. W.. Stout. Stanley A.. Reed. J. Am. Chem. Soc.. 1954. 76. 21. 5279–5281.
3. Srivastava, O. K. . Secco, E. A. . Studies on Metal Hydroxy Compounds. I. Thermal Analyses of Zinc Derivatives ε-Zn(OH)₂, Zn₅(OH)₈Cl₂ · H₂O, β-ZnOHCl, and ZnOHF . Canadian Journal of Chemistry . 1967 . 45 . 6 . 579–583 . 10.1139/v67-096 . free .