Nitrosyl fluoride
Nitrosyl fluoride is a covalently bonded nitrosyl compound.Reactions
NOF is a highly reactive fluorinating agent that converts many metals to their fluorides, releasing nitric oxide in the process:
NOF also fluorinates fluorides to form adducts that have a salt-like character, such as NOBF4.
Aqueous solutions of NOF are powerful solvents for metals, by a mechanism similar to that seen in aqua regia. Nitrosyl fluoride reacts with water to form nitrous acid, which then forms nitric acid:
Nitrosyl fluoride can also convert alcohols to nitrites:
It has a bent molecular shape: this can be rationalized in the VSEPR model in terms of the lone-pair of electrons located on the N atom.Uses
Nitrosyl fluoride is used as a solvent and as a fluorinating and nitrating agent in organic synthesis. It has also been proposed as an oxidizer in rocket propellants.
