Beryllium fluoride
2184047
221400682
2008-06-24T10:14:15Z
Axiosaurus
3399137
added a little on the solid structure
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| ImageName = beryllium fluoride in gas phase
| IUPACName = Berylium fluoride
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| CASNo = 7787-49-7
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| Formula = BeF<sub>2</sub>
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| MeltingPt = 552 °C
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'''Beryllium fluoride''' is the [[chemical compound]] with the [[chemical formula|formula]] BeF<sub>2</sub>. It is the [[beryllium]] compound with the greatest amount of ionic character (due to the high [[electronegativity]] of [[fluorine]]), but even so it is not considered ionic by many chemists. This synthetic material is the principal precursor for the manufacture of [[beryllium]] metal, which is obtained by reduction of BeF<sub>2</sub> at 1300°C:<ref name=Holl>Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. "Inorganic Chemistry" Academic Press: San Diego, 2001. ISBN 0-12-352651-5.</ref>
:BeF<sub>2</sub> + Mg → Be + MgF<sub>2</sub>
Solid crystalline BeF<sub>2</sub> has a silica like structure with four coordinate beryllium.<ref> Wells A.F. (1984) ''Structural Inorganic Chemistry'' 5th edition Oxford Science Publications ISBN 0-19-855370-6 </ref> Molecular BeF<sub>2</sub>, is isoelectronic with [[carbon dioxide|CO<sub>2</sub>]] and [[silicon dioxide|SiO<sub>2</sub>]] and as found in the gas-phase above 1160 °C is a linear molecule with a Be-F distance of 177 pm.<ref name=Holl/>. The condensed form adopts a number of different polymeric structures similar to those formed by [[silicon dioxide|SiO<sub>2</sub>]] namely α-quartz, β-quartz, [[crystobalite]] and [[tridymite]],<ref>{{Greenwood&Earnshaw}}</ref>. The difference between the ambient temperature structures of BeF<sub>2</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> reflects the decreased tendency of alkali metals to form multiple bonds. An analogy exists between BeF<sub>2</sub> and AlF<sub>3</sub>: both adopt extended structures at mild temperature.
==Applications==
Beryllium fluoride is used in biochemistry, particularly protein crystallography, since it binds in some of the same ways as phosphate does,,:\\]. [[adenosine diphosphate|ADP]] and beryllium fluoride together tend to bind to [[adenosine triphosphate|ATP]] sites and inhibit protein action, making it possible to crystallise proteins in the bound state.<ref>{{cite journal
| title = The structure of bovine F1-ATPase inhibited by ADP and beryllium fluoride
| author = Reiko Kagawa1, Martin G Montgomery, Kerstin Braig, Andrew G W Leslie and John E Walker
| journal =The EMBO Journal
| year = 2004
| volume = 23
| issue = 5
| pages = 2734–2744
| doi = 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600293
}}</ref>
==Safety==
All beryllium compounds are highly toxic. Beryllium fluoride is very [[soluble]] in water and is thus absorbed easily; as mentioned above, it inhibits ATP uptake. The [[LD50]] in mice is about 100mg/kg by ingestion and 1.8mg/kg by intravenous injection.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
[http://www.camd.lsu.edu/msds/b/beryllium_fluoride.htm|MSDS from which the LD50 figures]
==External links ==
* [http://www-cie.iarc.fr/htdocs/monographs/vol58/mono58-1.htm IARC Monograph "Beryllium and Beryllium Compounds"]
* [http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/profiles/13.html National Pollutant Inventory: Beryllium and compounds fact sheet]
* [http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/profiles/44.html National Pollutant Inventory: Fluoride and compounds fact sheet]
* [http://inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics1355.htm Hazards of Beryllium fluoride]
[[Category:Beryllium compounds]]
[[Category:Fluorides]]
{{Inorganic-compound-stub}}
[[ar:فلوريد بيريليوم]]
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