Plutonium(III) fluoride

Plutonium(III) fluoride or plutonium trifluoride is the chemical compound composed of plutonium and fluorine with the formula PuF₃. This salt forms violet crystals. Plutonium(III) fluoride has the LaF₃ structure where the coordination around the plutonium atoms is complex and usually described as tri-capped trigonal prismatic.^[3]

Plutonium(III) fluoride

Unit cell, ball and stick model of plutonium(III) fluoride
Names
IUPAC name Plutonium(III) fluoride
Systematic IUPAC name Plutonium(3+) fluoride
Other names Plutonic fluoride Plutonium fluoride Plutonium trifluoride
Identifiers
CAS Number	13842-83-6 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	123138 Y
PubChem CID	139624
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID60930112
InChI InChI=1S/3FH.Pu/h3*1H;/q;;;+3/p-3 Y Key: DBYIUAMLRDFZJJ-UHFFFAOYSA-K Y
SMILES [F-].[F-].[F-].[Pu+3]
Properties
Chemical formula	F3Pu
Molar mass	301 g·mol−1
Appearance	Violet, opaque crystals
Density	9.3 g cm−3
Melting point	1,396 °C (2,545 °F; 1,669 K)[1]
Boiling point	2,000 °C (3,630 °F; 2,270 K) (decomposes)[2]
Related compounds
Other anions	Plutonium(III) chloride
Other cations	Samarium(III) fluoride
Related fluoroplutoniums	Plutonium tetrafluoride Plutonium hexafluoride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Reactions

A plutonium(III) fluoride precipitation method has been investigated as an alternative to the typical plutonium peroxide method of recovering plutonium from solution, such as that from a nuclear reprocessing plant.^[4] A 1957 study by the Los Alamos National Laboratory reported a less effective recovery than the traditional method,^[5] while a more recent study sponsored by the United States Office of Scientific and Technical Information found it to be one of the more effective methods.^[6]

Plutonium(III) fluoride can be used for manufacture of the plutonium-gallium alloy instead of more difficult to handle metallic plutonium.