Carbonyl fluoride

Carbonyl fluoride is a chemical compound with the formula COF2. It is a carbon oxohalide. This gas, like its analog phosgene, is colourless and highly toxic. The molecule is planar with C2v symmetry, bond lengths of 1.174 Å (C=O) and 1.312 Å (C–F), and an F–C–F bond angle of 108.0°.

Preparation and properties
Carbonyl fluoride is usually produced as a decomposition product of fluorinated hydrocarbons in the thermal decomposition thereof, for example from trifluoromethanol or tetrafluoromethane in the presence of water:


 * CF4 + H2O → COF2 + 2 HF

Carbonyl fluoride can also be prepared by reaction of phosgene with hydrogen fluoride and the fluorination of carbon monoxide, although the latter tends to result in over-fluorination to carbon tetrafluoride. The fluorination of carbon monoxide with silver difluoride is convenient:


 * CO + 2 AgF2 → COF2 + 2 AgF

Carbonyl fluoride is unstable in the presence of water, hydrolyzing to carbon dioxide and hydrogen fluoride:


 * COF2 + H2O → CO2 + 2 HF

Safety
Carbonyl fluoride is very toxic with a recommended exposure limit of 2 ppm as an 8-hour time weighted average and a 5 ppm as a short-term (15-minute average) exposure, where 1 ppm = 2.70 mg of carbonyl fluoride per 1 m3 of air.