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Ferrocenium tetrafluoroborate is an organometallic compound with the formula BF4. This salt is composed of the cation and the tetrafluoroborateanion (BF 4). The related hexafluorophosphate is also a popular reagent with similar properties. The ferrocenium cation is often abbreviated Fc or Cp2Fe. The salt is deep blue in color and paramagnetic.
Ferrocenium salts are sometimes used as one-electron oxidizing agents, and the reduced product, ferrocene, is inert and readily separated from ionic products. The ferrocene–ferrocenium couple is often used as a reference in electrochemistry. The standard potential of ferrocene-ferrocenium is dependent on specific electrochemical conditions.
Preparation
Commercially available, this compound may be prepared by oxidizing ferrocene typically with ferric salts followed by addition of fluoroboric acid. A variety of other oxidants work well also, such as nitrosyl tetrafluoroborate. Many analogous ferrocenium salts are known.
Structure
According to X-ray crystallography, the structures of the metallocene component of FcBF4 and the parent ferrocene are very similar. The Fe-C distances in the cation are 209.5 pm, about 2% longer than the Fe-C distances in ferrocene.
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