Bromine pentafluoride

Bromine pentafluoride, BrF₅, is an interhalogen compound and a fluoride of bromine. It is a strong fluorination reagent.

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Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

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It melts at −61.30 °C and boils at 40.25 °C. BrF₅ finds use in oxygen isotope analysis. Laser ablation of solid silicates in the presence of bromine pentafluoride releases O₂ for subsequent analysis.

Preparation^[1]

It was the first time prepared in 1930.

It can be prepared by disproportiation of BrF:

3 BrF → BrF₃ + Br₂

Preparation of larger quantities can be accomplished by reaction with temperature over 150 °C and an excess of fluorine:

Br₂ + 5 F₂ → 2 BrF₅

For preparation of smaller amounts can be used reaction:

KBr + 3 F₂ → KF + BrF₅

Reactions

Bromine pentafluoride reacts explosively with water by reaction:

BrF₅ + 3 H₂O → HBrO₃ + 5 HF

References

1. ^ N. N. Greenwood, A. Earnshaw. Chemie prvku (Chemistry of the Elements). Informatorium, Prague, 1993.