Copper(I) fluoride

Copper(I) fluoride
IUPAC name Copper(I) fluoride
Systematic name Fluorocopper[1]
Other names Cuprous fluoride
Identifiers
CAS number	13478-41-6
PubChem	3084153
ChemSpider	2341261 Y
Jmol-3D images	Image 1
SMILES [Cu]F
InChI InChI=1S/Cu.FH/h;1H/q+1;/p-1 Y Key: BMRUOURRLCCWHB-UHFFFAOYSA-M Y InChI=1/Cu.FH/h;1H/q+1;/p-1 Key: BMRUOURRLCCWHB-REWHXWOFAQ
Properties
Molecular formula	CuF
Molar mass	82.54 g mol−1
Exact mass	81.928004284 g mol-1
Density	7.1 g cm-3
Structure
Crystal structure	sphalerite
Y (verify) (what is: Y/N?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Copper(I) fluoride is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula CuF. Its existence is uncertain. It was reported in 1933 to have a sphalerite-type crystal structure.^[2] Modern textbooks state that CuF is not known,^[3] since fluorine is so electronegative that it will always oxidise copper to its +2 oxidation state.^[4] Complexes of CuF such as [(Ph₃P)₃CuF] are, however, known and well characterised.^[5]

Synthesis and reactivity

It can be formed by the reduction of copper(II) fluoride.^{[citation needed]} Unlike copper(I) chloride, copper(I) fluoride tends to disproportionate into copper(II) fluoride and copper in a one to one ratio at ambient conditions, unless it is stabilised through complexation as in the example of [Cu(N₂)F].

CuF → Cu + CuF₂

As a result of this disproportiontion, samples slowly become light cyan in colour, the colour of copper(II) fluoride.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ "Copper Monofluoride - PubChem Public Chemical Database". The PubChem Project. USA: National Center for Biotechnology Information. http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=3084153&loc=ec_rcs. 
2. ^ Ebert, F.; Woitinek, H. (1933). "Kristallstrukturen von Fluoriden. II. HgF, HgF₂, CuF und CuF₂". Z. anorg. allg. Chem. 210 (3): 269–272. doi:10.1002/zaac.19332100307. 
3. ^ Housecroft, C. E.; Sharpe, A. G. (2008). Inorganic Chemistry (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall. pp. 737–738. ISBN 978-0131755536. 
4. ^ Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 1183–1185. ISBN 0080379419. 
5. ^ Gulliver, D. J.; Levason, W.; Webster, M. (1981). "Coordination Stabilised Copper(I) Fluoride. Crystal and Molecular Structure of Fluorotris(triphenylphosphine)copper(I)·Ethanol (1/2), Cu(PPh₃)₃F·2EtOH". Inorg. Chim. Acta 52: 153–159. doi:10.1016/S0020-1693(00)88590-4.