Sulfur chloride pentafluoride is an inorganic compound with the formula . It exists as a colorless gas at room temperature and is highly toxic, like most inorganic compounds containing the pentafluorosulfide (âÂÂ) functional group. The compound adopts an octahedral geometry with symmetry. Sulfur chloride pentafluoride is the only commercially available reagent for adding the â group to organic compounds.
is highly reactive and toxic. In contrast, sulfur hexafluoride () is inert and nontoxic despite having a closely related chemical formula. This difference highlights the lability of the SâÂÂCl bond in .
Under free-radical conditions, adds across double bonds. The following reaction occurs with propene:
The addition reaction is catalyzed by at around âÂÂ30 ðC. is used similarly.
is also a precursor to O(SF<sub>5</sub>)<sub>2</sub> and F<sub>2</sub>NSF<sub>5</sub> (from tetrafluorohydrazine).
Sulfur chloropentafluoride can be synthesized by several routes, starting from two lower sulfur fluorides, sulfur tetrafluoride and disulfur decafluoride:
The corresponding is prepared similarly from in-situ generated bromine monofluoride.