| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name rhodium(VI) fluoride | |
| Other names rhodium hexafluoride | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
PubChem CID | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
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| Properties | |
| F6Rh | |
| Molar mass | 216.91 g/mol |
| Appearance | black crystalline solid [1] |
| Density | 3.71g/mL [2] |
| Melting point | ≈70 °C (158 °F; 343 K) [1] |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
Rhodium hexafluoride, also rhodium(VI) fluoride, (RhF6) is the inorganic compound of rhodium and fluorine. A black volatile solid, [1] 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. [3] It is prepared by reaction of rhodium metal with an excess of elemental fluorine: [4]
The RhF6 molecule has octahedral molecular geometry. Consistent with its d3 configuration, the six Rh–F bond lengths are equivalent, being 1.824 Å. [2] 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, [4] and can even react with elemental oxygen. [5]