Californium oxychloride (Cf OCl) is a radioactive actinide salt first discovered in measurable quantities in 1960. It is composed of a single californium cation and oxychloride consisting of one chloride and one oxide anion. It was the first californium compound ever isolated.
Californium (III) oxychloride is made with the treatment of with moist hydrogen chloride or with water vapor.. The equation of the reaction with moist HCl (Hydrogen chloride) is: <chem>Cf2O3 + 2 HCl -> 2 CfOCl + H2O</chem> The Reaction with moist hydrogen chloride is called Hydrochlorination. The equation to the reaction with Water vapour and Californium trichloride: <chem>CfCl3 + H2O(g) -> CfOCl + 2 HCl</chem>.
It is chemically similar to PbFCl As it has a PbFCl like crystal structure. X-ray diffraction data, from 3 poly-crystalline (poly means many) samples give the average lattice parameters a = 3÷956 ñ 0÷002 A (3.954 - 3.958 A). and c = 6÷662 ñ 0÷009 A (6.671 - 6.653 A)