Chemistry of Beryllium in liquid Ammonia and the Usage of Fluoride Ion Acceptors for the Synthesis of Nitrogen Containing Compounds

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Florian Kraus
• Subject Area: Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation ; Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Material Synthesis
• Term: from 2010 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 189246818

In this proposal we would like to explore the basic chemistry of beryllium in liquid ammonia solution.Additionally, the reaction of fluoride ion acceptors, like Be2+, with metal fluorides should open an access to mixed anionic compounds containing N and F, and finally lead to nitrides.These nitrogen and fluorine containing classes of compounds are - with few exceptions - unknown. However, they should feature interesting and commercially usable magnetic, optic, or even superconducting properties as the oxides do, which are most often a lot easier to synthesize.Therfore, the chemical reactions of beryllium compounds with ammonia, hydrazine, amides, imides and nitrides are to be explored in solid state reactions as well as in liquid ammonia solution. Beryllium amide, imide and nitride is to be reacted with various metal fluorides.Our previous works have been extremely successful. We have shown that the beryllium cation can be used as a fluoride ion acceptor in liquid ammonia. This cleared the way for a continuative, rich beryllium chemistry in liquid ammonia: The tetraammine beryllium cation was structurally characterized for the first time, and its hydrolysis products in liquid ammonia were elucidated.Diammine difluorido beryllium(II) acts as a strong fluoride ion acceptor as it is able to abtract a fluoride ion from the almost insoluble metal tetrafluorides. This way ammine trifluorido beryllates(II) are formed.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Institution: University of Jyväskylä ; Department of Chemistry