Ethyl fluoride, thermal decomposition

Cobalt salts are used as activators for catalysts, fuel cells (qv), and batteries. Thermal decomposition of cobalt oxalate is used in the production of cobalt powder. Cobalt compounds have been used as selective absorbers for oxygen, in electrostatographic toners, as fluoridating agents, and in molecular sieves. Cobalt ethyUiexanoate and cobalt naphthenate are used as accelerators with methyl ethyl ketone peroxide for the room temperature cure of polyester resins. 

Disulfuryl fluoride is a clear colorless liquid with a boiling point of 51°. Its vapor pressure over the temperature range —28 to 43° follows the equation logioP(mm.) = 8.015— 1662/T. It has an inhalation toxicity of the same order as that of phosgene, and should be handled only in a well-ventilated area. Its thermal decomposition to sulfur trioxide and sulfuryl fluoride is not very appreciable below 200° but is rapid at 400-500°. In the presence of metal fluorides such as ceaum or sodium fluoride, however, its decomposition point is considerably low er. It hydrolyzes rather slowly to give fluorosulfuric acid. It is not very soluble in cold concentrated sulfuric acid or fluorosulfuric acid, but is soluble in acetonitrile, ethyl ether, carbon tetrachloride, monofluorotrichloromethane, and benzene. 

A theoretical study of the thermal decomposition kinetics of ethyl fluoride 1,1-difluoroethane 1,1,1-trifluoroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane has been carried out at the B3LYP/6-31-H-G, B3PW91/6-31-H-G, and MP2/6-31-h-hG levels of theory. The calculated data demonstrate that in the HF elimination reaction of the compounds studied, the polarization of the C(l)-F(3) bond is rate determining. Analysis of bond order, charges, bond indexes, and synchronicity parameters suggests that HF elimination occurs through a concerted and asynchronous four-membered cyclic TS type of mechanism. 

---