Synthesis of Nitrogen Oxyfluorides at Low Temperature Monitored by Barometry and Infrared Spectroscopy

Nitryl fluoride (FNO₂) and nitrosyl fluoride (FNO) are two nitrogen oxyfluorides that are rarely described in the literature. Their respective syntheses, by combination of nitrogen oxide (NO₂ or NO) and molecular fluorine (F₂), are known to be particularly energetic, which can lead to a flame even at low temperatures. This reactivity, however, has not prevented their use to synthesize exotic inorganic compounds. The simultaneous presence of nitrogen oxides, fluorine, and the nitrogen oxyfluorides formed, all gaseous and very reactive, strongly limits the number of analytical techniques available to precisely monitor the reaction. This article proposes to revisit the synthesis of these two compounds, by very precise monitoring of the pressure inside the reactor coupled with infrared spectroscopy, in a setup specifically built and dedicated to their study.