Rhodium hexafluoride
| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name
rhodium(VI) fluoride | |
| Other names
rhodium hexafluoride | |
| Identifiers | |
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PubChem CID |
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| Properties | |
| F6Rh | |
| Molar mass | 216.91 g/mol |
| Appearance | black crystalline solid |
| Density | 3.71g/mL |
| Melting point | ≈ 70 °C (158 °F; 343 K) |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references | |
Rhodium hexafluoride, also rhodium(VI) fluoride, (RhF6) is the inorganic compound of rhodium and fluorine. A black volatile solid, it is a highly reactive material which starts to slowly thermally decompose already at room temperature and a rare example of a rhodium(VI) compound. It is one of seventeen known binary hexafluorides.
Rhodium hexafluoride was discovered by American radiochemists in 1961, soon after the discovery of ruthenium hexafluoride. It is prepared by reaction of rhodium metal with an excess of elemental fluorine:
- Rh + 3 F2 → RhF6
The RhF6 molecule has octahedral molecular geometry. Consistent with its d3 configuration, the six Rh–F bond lengths are equivalent, being 1.824 Å. It crystallises in an orthorhombic space group Pnma with lattice parameters of a = 9.323 Å, b = 8.474 Å, and c = 4.910 Å.
Like some other metal fluorides, RhF6 is highly oxidizing. It attacks glass, and can even react with elemental oxygen.