Boron trifluoride affinity

The discovery of what appears to be a thermodynamic threshold governing the intercalation of graphite by fluoro anions, MF,, has required the evaluation of the thermodynamic stability of a number of such species. Since germanium tetrafluoride and fluorine are intercalated, in combination, by graphite to form both GeFj" and GeFs ", the first and second fluoride ion affinities of that molecule are each of interest. Evaluation of the fluoride ion affinity of boron trifluoride by Altshuller yielded a value of-71 kcal moF. This has been accepted by several authors as the basis for other fluoride ion affinities and electron affinities. Sharpe, however, has preferred a value of -91 kcal moF, based upon the data of Bills and Cotton. Although this latter value is in harmony with other fluoride ion affinities and electron affinities, its confirmation was clearly desirable to provide a firm basis for correction of affinities based upon the lower value. This paper describes the studies that have provided these fluoride ion affinities. 

The most general view of acids and bases was advanced by G. N. Lewis. In this model, acids are substances which have an affinity for lone electron pairs, and bases are substances which possess lone electron pairs. Water and ammonia are the most common substances which possess lone electron pairs, and therefore behave as bases in the Lewis scheme. The reaction of silver ion, Ag with cyanide ion, CN , and boron trifluoride, BF3 (an electron-deficient compound), with ammonia, NH3, are two examples of Lewis acid-base reactions. The Lewis acid-base concept is most useful in chemical reactions in nonaqueous solvents. We will not find it useful in our study of ionic equilibria in water. 

Following the use of boron acids by Brown et al. (1953-1955) [91] in his classical work on steric effects in the complexation of amines with trimethylboron, an extensive set of calorimetric measurements was provided by the studies of BF3 complexes by Gal, Maria et al. (1970-1992) [80]. Boron trifluoride is the archetype of Lewis acids in the original Lewis definition. The promising BF3 affinity scale is presented in Chapter 3. 

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