Uranium pentafluoride is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula UF5. It is a pale yellow paramagnetic solid. The compound has attracted interest because it is related to uranium hexafluoride, which is widely used to produce uranium fuel. It crystallizes in two polymorphs, called α- and β-UF5.
Uranium pentafluoride is an intermediate in the conversion of uranium tetrafluoride to volatile UF6:
It can be produced by reduction of the hexafluoride with carbon monoxide at elevated temperatures.[1]
Other reducing agents have been examined.[2]
The α form is a linear coordination polymer consisting of chains of octahedral uranium centers in which one of the five fluoride anion forms a bridge to the next uranium atom.[3] The structure is reminiscent of that for vanadium pentafluoride.
In the β form, the uranium centers adopt a square antiprismatic structure.[4] The β polymorph gradually converts to α at 130 °C.[3]
Of theoretical interest, molecular UF5 can be generated as a transient monomer by UV-photolysis of uranium hexafluoride. It is thought to adopt a square pyramidal geometry.[5]
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