Reactions
Unlike the aluminium and gallium trihalides, the boron trihalides are all monomeric. They undergo rapid halide exchange reactions:
- BF3 + BCl3 → BF2Cl + BCl2F
Because of the facility of this exchange process, the mixed halides cannot be obtained in pure form.
Boron trifluoride is a versatile Lewis acid that forms adducts with such Lewis bases as fluoride and ethers:
- CsF + BF3 → CsBF4
- O(C2H5)2 + BF3 → BF3O(C2H5)2
Tetrafluoroborate salts are commonly employed as non-coordinating anions. The adduct with diethyl ether, boron trifluoride diethyl etherate or just boron trifluoride etherate (BF3 · O(Et)2) is a conveniently handled liquid and consequently is a widely encountered as a laboratory source of BF3. It is stable as a solution in ether, but not stoichiometrically. Another common adduct is the adduct with dimethyl sulfide (BF3 · S(Me)2), which can be handled as a neat liquid.
Read more about this topic: Boron Trifluoride
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