Silver tetrafluoroborate

Silver tetrafluoroborate is an inorganic compound with the molecular formula AgBF₄. It is a white solid, although commercial samples often are gray, that dissolves in polar organic solvents as well as water.^[2]

Silver tetrafluoroborate

Names
IUPAC name Silver tetrafluoridoborate(1–)
Other names Borate(1-), tetrafluoro-, silver(1+) Argentous tetrafluoroborate
Identifiers
CAS Number	14104-20-2 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	140438 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.034.491
EC Number	237-956-5
PubChem CID	159722
RTECS number	ED2875000
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID40884548
InChI InChI=1S/Ag.BF4/c;2-1(3,4)5/q+1;-1 Y Key: CCAVYRRHZLAMDJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y InChI=1/Ag.BF4/c;2-1(3,4)5/q+1;-1 Key: CCAVYRRHZLAMDJ-UHFFFAOYAH
SMILES [Ag+].F[B-](F)(F)F
Properties
Chemical formula	AgBF4
Molar mass	194.673 g/mol
Appearance	Off-white powder
Odor	almost odorless
Density	4.16 g/cm3
Melting point	71.5 °C (160.7 °F; 344.6 K) (monohydrate)
Solubility in water	soluble
Hazards
GHS labelling:[1]
Pictograms
Signal word	Danger
Hazard statements	H314
Precautionary statements	P260, P264, P280, P301+P330+P331, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P310, P321, P363, P405, P501
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	3 0 0
Safety data sheet (SDS)	External MSDS
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Y verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references

Preparation

Silver tetrafluoroborate can be prepared by several methods. A simple route entails dissolving silver carbonate in aqueous tetrafluoroboric acid.^[3] It can also be produced by treating silver(I) fluoride with boron trifluoride in nitromethane solution. The reaction between boron trifluoride and a benzene suspension of silver oxide is yet another route, one that exploits the solubility of the compound in benzene. This method however affords silver fulminate, a sensitive explosive.^[4]

Laboratory uses

In the inorganic and organometallic chemistry laboratory, silver tetrafluoroborate, sometimes referred to "silver BF-4", is a used as a reagent to remove halide ligands and to oxidize electron-rich complexes. In dichloromethane, silver tetrafluoroborate is a moderately strong oxidant.^[5] Similar to silver hexafluorophosphate, it is commonly used to replace halide anions or ligands with the weakly coordinating tetrafluoroborate anions. The abstraction of the halide is driven by the precipitation of the corresponding silver halide.

Structure

Packing of AgBF₄. Color code: green = F, orange = B, blue = Ag

According to X-ray crystallography, the solid compound consists of Ag⁺ centers bound to four fluoride sites of the BF₄⁻.^[6]