Formation and Detection. Handling

HOF was synthesized by reacting Fg with H2O (solid or liquid) and was detected in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. It may be prepared in mg amounts by slowly pumping F2 at 300 Torr or less over water at 0°C in a Kel-F (polytrifluorochloroethylene) U tube. Two further U tubes at 

In an N2 matrix at Hand 20 K, HOF was formed by the photolysisof a mixture of fluorine and water and was detected by its IR absorption bands [5], For the reaction steps involved, see Fluorine Suppl. Vol. 2, 1980, p. 164. HOF and DOF are formed as secondary reaction products in the gas-phase reaction F-hH20(D20) HF-hOH(OD) and are detected by photoelectron spectroscopy. More DOF appeared to be generated than HOF [18]. The formation of HOF as an intermediate complex in the reaction F-hOH HF-hO was suggested from the vibrational energy distribution of HF product molecules [19]. The intermediate formation of HOF was considered in an anode reaction in the system H2O-HF [6]. 

Solid HOF appears white [1]. The vapor is colorless, and the liquid is described as pale yellow [3], previously as colorless [1]. 

The handling of HOF requires adequate shielding [7] since minor detonations were observed [8], resulting from the spontaneous decomposition into O2 and HF (see p. 155). 

AHf was also calculated by the semiempiricalSCF methods MINDO [15] and MNDO [16,17]. 

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