Beryllium fluoride 2184047 221400682 2008-06-24T10:14:15Z Axiosaurus 3399137 added a little on the solid structure {{chembox new | ImageFile = Beryllium-fluoride-3D-vdW.png | ImageSize = 200px | ImageName = beryllium fluoride in gas phase | IUPACName = Berylium fluoride | OtherNames = | Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers | Abbreviations = | CASNo = 7787-49-7 | EINECS = | PubChem = | SMILES = | InChI = | RTECS = | MeSHName = | ChEBI = | KEGG = | ATCCode_prefix = | ATCCode_suffix = | ATC_Supplemental =}} | Section2 = {{Chembox Properties | Formula = BeF<sub>2</sub> | MolarMass = | Appearance = | Density = | MeltingPt = 552 °C | Melting_notes = | BoilingPtC = | Boiling_notes = | Solubility = | SolubleOther = | Solvent = | pKa = | pKb = }} | Section7 = {{Chembox Hazards | EUClass = | EUIndex = | MainHazards = | NFPA-H = | NFPA-F = | NFPA-R = | NFPA-O = | RPhrases = | SPhrases = | RSPhrases = | FlashPt = | Autoignition = | ExploLimits = | PEL = }} }} '''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 &rarr; 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]] [[de:Berylliumfluorid]] [[fi:Berylliumfluoridi]]