Silver fluoride

Silver(I) fluoride (AgF), also known as argentous fluoride and silver monofluoride, is a compound of silver and fluorine. It is a ginger-coloured solid, melting point 435 °C^[1], which blackens on exposure to moist air. Unlike other silver halides such as silver chloride it is soluble in water to the extent of 1.8 kg/L^[1], and it even has some solubility in acetonitrile. AgF is made from silver(I) carbonate and hydrofluoric acid.

Additional recommended knowledge

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Recognize and detect the effects of electrostatic charges on your balance

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Silver(I) fluoride finds most application in organofluorine chemistry for addition of fluoride across multiple bonds. For example, AgF adds to perfluoroalkenes in acetonitrile to give perfluoroalkylsilver(I) derivatives:^[2] R_FCF=CF₂ + AgF → R_FCF(CF₃)Ag.

Silver also forms a higher fluoride, silver(II) fluoride.

See also

• Naming Ionic Compounds

References

1. Chemistry of the Elements, NN Greenwood & A Earnshaw, Pergamon Press.
2. Miller, W. T.; Burnard, R. J., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1968, 90, 7367-7368.