Bromine monofluoride

Bromine monofluoride is a quite unstable <a href="/facts/Interhalogen/TBED2c9B">interhalogen compound</a> with the chemical formula BrF. It can be produced through the reaction of <a href="/facts/Bromine_trifluoride/yHaNctl0">bromine trifluoride</a> (or <a href="/facts/Bromine_pentafluoride/mCtsa5ja">bromine pentafluoride</a>) and <a href="/facts/Bromine/oLfj3C7D">bromine</a>. Due to its lability, the compound can be detected but not isolated:

BrF3 + Br2 → 3 BrF
BrF5 + 2 Br2 → 5 BrF
Br2(l) + F2(g) → 2 BrF(g)
It is usually generated in the presence of <a href="/facts/Caesium_fluoride/edycrnDL">caesium fluoride</a>.
Bromine monofluoride decomposes at normal temperature through <a href="/facts/Dismutation/67QMkXrV">dismutation</a> to bromine trifluoride, bromine pentafluoride, and free bromine.
The molecular structure in the gas phase was determined by microwave spectroscopy; the bond length is re = 1.758981(50) Å.
The bond length in a cocrystal with methylchloride is 1.822(2) Å; the lengthening relative to the free molecule is due to an interaction of the type F-Br···ClMe with a distance of 2.640(1) Å.

Bromine monofluoride open-in-new

Bromine monofluoride