| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octafluorocubane | |
| Other names perfluorocubane | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| ChemSpider | |
PubChem CID | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
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| Properties | |
| C8F8 | |
| Molar mass | 248.075 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | colorless, sublimable |
| Density | 2.429 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 160.1–171.1 °C (320.2–340.0 °F; 433.2–444.2 K) |
| Related compounds | |
Related compounds | Octanitrocubane |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
Octafluorocubane or perfluorocubane is an organofluorine compound with the formula C8F8, consisting of eight carbon atoms joined into a cube, with a fluorine bonded to each carbon corner. It is a colorless, sublimable solid at room temperature. It has been of longstanding theoretical interest, but was not synthesised until 2022, when it was prepared in several steps from a cubane carboxylic ester beginning with its heptafluorination. According to X-ray crystallography, the C-C distances (1.570 Å) in octafluorocubane are identical in length to those in the parent cubane (1.572 Å). [1]
Octafluorocubane has attracted interest from theorists because of its unusual electronic structure, [2] which is indicated by its susceptibility to undergo reduction to a detectable anion C
8F−
8, with the free electron trapped inside of the cube. [3]
The compound was voted "favorite molecule of 2022" by readers of Chemical & Engineering News . [4]