Scientists from the University of Oxford have come up with a new way to obtain fluorine atoms, used to manufacture important chemical compounds used in industry and research, in a much safer and less energy-intensive way. Members of the scientific community have hailed the finding as a major breakthrough that could transform the synthesis of these compounds.
The work was published in Science on July 20, 2023
Fluorine is a highly reactive element used to make fluorochemicals, which in turn are used to produce plastics, agrochemicals, lithium-ion batteries, and drugs. Fluorine comes from a calcium salt called calcium fluoride, or fluorspar. Fluorspar is mined and then treated with sulphuric acid at a high temperature to release hydrogen fluoride (HF). HF is then made to react with other compounds to create fluorochemicals.
