High Purity Phosphorus Trifluoride Gas (PF3) Fluorocarbon Gases

Phosphorus trifluoride (formula PF3), is a colorless and odorless gas. It is highly toxic and reacts slowly with water. Its main use is as a ligand in metal complexes. As a ligand, it parallels carbon monoxide in metal carbonyls,and indeed its toxicity is due to its binding with the iron in blood hemoglobin in a similar way to carbon monoxide.Phosphorus trifluoride hydrolyzes especially at high pH, but it is less hydrolytically sensitive than phosphorus trichloride. It does not attack glass except at high temperatures, and anhydrous potassium hydroxide may be used to dry it with little loss. With hot metals, phosphides and fluorides are formed. With Lewis bases such as ammonia addition products (adducts) are formed, and PF3 is oxidized by oxidizing agents such as bromine or potassium permanganate.As a ligand for transition metals, PF3 is a strong π-acceptor.It forms a variety of metal complexes with metals in low oxidation states. PF3 forms several complexes for which the corresponding CO derivatives (see metal carbonyl) are unstable or nonexistent.