Reaction of carbonyl fluoride with fluorine in the presence of various fluorides as catalysts

The fluorides KF, RbF and CsF have been known to serve as catalysts for the reaction CF₂O + F₂→ CF₃OF. The list of catalysts for this process has now been enlarged to include NaF, MgF₂, CaF₂, SrF₂, BaF₂ and LaF₃. Lithium fluoride and thorium fluoride also give CF₃OF but are less active. Perhaps the substances CsF·HF, KAgF₄ and NiF₂ should be included in this list. Silver fluoride, usually as a mixture of AgF₂ with AgF, has been known to catalyze the reaction of CF₂O with F₂ to give both CF₃OF and CF₃OOCF₃. The proportion of the latter in the mixture of products increases with decreasing temperature. At 25°, the reaction is slow and the yield of CF₃OOCF₃ is very high. It has now been shown that TIF₃ behaves like silver fluoride. It has also been shown that many other fluorides of metals give higher yields of CF₃OOCF₃ than of CF₃OF but require higher temperatures than AgF₂ (100-ca. 150°) to be effective. Various possible mechanisms for these catalytic processes are discussed.