Ferrocenium tetrafluoroborate
Encyclopedia
Ferrocenium tetrafluoroborate is an organometallic compound with the formula [Fe(C5H5)2]BF4. This salt is composed of the cation [Fe(C5H5)2]+ and the tetrafluoroborate
Tetrafluoroborate
Tetrafluoroborate is the anion BF4−. This tetrahedral species is isoelectronic with tetrafluoromethane, CF4 and tetrafluoroammonium NF4+, and is valence isoelectronic with many stable and important species including the closely related anion perchlorate, ClO4−...

 anion (BF4-). The related hexafluorophosphate
Hexafluorophosphate
Hexafluorophosphate is an anion with chemical formula of . This octahedral species is isoelectronic with sulfur hexafluoride, SF6, and is valence isoelectronic with the highly stable superacid anion fluoroantimonate . As a non-coordinating anion, it is a poor nucleophile...

 is also a popular reagent with similar properties. The cation is often abbreviated Fc+. The salt is deep blue in color and paramagnetic.

Ferrocenium salts are sometimes used as one-electron oxidizing agents. The product of the oxidation, ferrocene
Ferrocene
Ferrocene is an organometallic compound with the formula Fe2. It is the prototypical metallocene, a type of organometallic chemical compound consisting of two cyclopentadienyl rings bound on opposite sides of a central metal atom. Such organometallic compounds are also known as sandwich compounds...

, is inert and readily separated from ionic products. The ferrocene/ferrocenium couple is often used as a reference in electrochemistry. In acetonitrile
Acetonitrile
Acetonitrile is the chemical compound with formula . This colourless liquid is the simplest organic nitrile. It is produced mainly as a byproduct of acrylonitrile manufacture...

 solution that is 0.1 M in NBu4PF6, the Fc+/0 couple is +0.641 V vs the normal hydrogen electrode.

Preparation

Commercially available, this compound may be prepared by oxidizing ferrocene with nitrosyl tetrafluoroborate.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK