Benzoyl fluoride is an organic, aromatic compound of carbon, hydrogen, fluorine, and oxygen. It is the acyl fluoride of benzoic acid; its chemical formula is . It was initially isolated by Alexander Borodin in 1863.
Benzoyl fluoride can be prepared by the reaction of benzoyl chloride or benzoic anhydride with potassium fluoride, or by using trifluorotoluene as a precoursor in presence of niobium pentoxide as a catalyst.
Benzoyl fluoride hydrolyzes in water to benzoic acid and reacts with alkalis to form salts:
Benzoyl fluoride is a colorless liquid that is soluble in ethanol, diethyl ether, and acetone.
The compound can be used as an ionic liquid and as a silicone depolymerization agent.