Ion chromatographic determination of hydrolysis products of hexafluorophosphate salts in aqueous solution

In this work, hydrolysis of three different hexafluorophosphate salts in purified water was investigated. Aqueous samples of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆), sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF₆) and potassium hexafluorophosphate (KPF₆) were prepared and stored for different times. Ion chromatography (IC) with UV as well as non-suppressed and suppressed conductivity detection was used for the analysis of the reaction products. For the detection and identification of the formed decomposition products, an IC method using IonPac AS14A 250 mm × 4.0 mm i.d. column and 2.5 mM KHCO₃–2.5 mM K₂CO₃ eluent was established. Besides hexafluorophosphate, four other anionic species were detected in fresh and matured aqueous solutions. The hydrolysis products fluoride (F⁻), monofluorophosphate (HPO₃F⁻), phosphate (HPO₄²⁻) and difluorophosphate (PO₂F₂⁻) were found and were unambiguously identified by means of standards or electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). It was shown that stability of hexafluorophosphate solutions depends on the nature of the counter ion and decreases in the order potassium > sodium > lithium.