Titanium tetrafluoride


Titanium fluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula TiF4. It is a white hygroscopic solid. In contrast to the other tetrahalides of titanium, it adopts a polymeric structure. In common with the other tetrahalides, TiF4 is a strong Lewis acid.

Preparation, structure, reactions

The traditional method involves treatment of titanium tetrachloride with excess hydrogen fluoride:
Purification is by sublimation, which involves reversible cracking of the polymeric structure.
X-ray crystallography reveals that the Ti centres are octahedral, but conjoined in an unusual columnar structure.
TiF4 forms adducts with many ligands. One example is cis-TiF42, which is formed by treatment with acetonitrile.