Fluorine plays a more prominent role than any other element in many areas of chemistry, life sciences, technology, industry, and modern life. Fluorine reacts with almost every element, and in principle, fluorine atoms can be incorporated into any organic molecule, giving fluorine the ability to form more compounds than any other element. Replacing H or OH with F in organic molecules significantly alters the bond energies and polarizations, and consequently, the properties of the compounds. Synthetic organofluorine compounds are therefore of increasing importance in pharmaceuticals, pesticides, lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, dyes, liquid crystals, surfactants, ionic liquids, blood substitutes, and more. Fluoropolymers and their derivatives are the most thermally and chemically resistant polymers. Ionomers such as Nafion are of great importance in fuel cells and electrolytes. Low-molecular-weight CHF compounds are also produced on a scale of millions of tons as substitutes for CFRPs and are used as refrigerants, propellants, fire retardants, and solvents. Modern high-voltage and energy technology would be inconceivable without _SF6 as an insulating gas; the production of semiconductor chips is also impossible without highly purified hydrofluoric acid and fluorine-containing plasma etching gases. Graphite fluoride and electrolytes with fluorinated anions are important components in electrochemical energy storage devices.

Short link to this page: www.gdch.de/fluorchemie

External Homepage