Arsenic fluoride: Lewis acidity

In a generalized sense, acids are electron pair acceptors. They include both protic (Bronsted) acids and Lewis acids such as AlCb and BF3 that have an electron-deficient central metal atom. Consequently, there is a priori no difference between Bronsted (protic) and Lewis acids. In extending the concept of superacidity to Lewis acid halides, those stronger than anhydrous aluminum chloride (the most commonly used Friedel-Crafts acid) are considered super Lewis acids. These superacidic Lewis acids include such higher-valence fluorides as antimony, arsenic, tantalum, niobium, and bismuth pentafluorides. Superacidity encompasses both very strong Bronsted and Lewis acids and their conjugate acid systems. 

Reactions of organoxenonium salts [RXe][EFn+)] with Lewis acids do not result in transformation of the organo group of the cation [RXe]+ (6), but rather give rise to fluoride abstraction from the counteranion [EFn+i]. For example, organoxenonium fluoroborates were converted into [EF6]" salts by using arsenic or antimony pentafluoride or their adducts, EFj L (eqs 9, 10) (22, 30). 

The action of strong aprotic Lewis acids (antimony(V) fluoride, arsenic(V) fluoride etc.) provokes the ionization of xenon difluoride, leading to the formation of fluoroxenonium salts XcF + MFn or Xe2F3 MFn less strong acceptors of the fluoride ion (hydrogen fluoride, boron trifluoride, etc.) polarize the xenon difluoride molecule. 

The addition of chlorine monofluoridc across the C = 0 bonds in difluorophosgene, per-fluoroacyl fluorides, and perfluoroketones with the formation of hypochlorites occurs only in the presence of the catalysts potassium fluoride, rubidium fluoride, cesium fluoride80,81 or the strong Lewis acids hydrogen fluoride, boron trifluoride, or arsenic(V) fluoride.82 The cesium fluoride catalyzed reactions are carried out in an autoclave for 2-3 hours at — 20"C or left overnight.80... 

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