HOF
hypofluorous acid · hydrogen hypofluorite
Hypofluorous acid is a highly unstable and reactive inorganic compound primarily utilized as a potent oxidizing agent in specialized chemical synthesis.

About hypofluorous acid
Hypofluorous acid is a rare and chemically volatile compound consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, and fluorine. As a wide-gap insulator, it exhibits distinct electronic characteristics that set it apart from more common oxyacids. Its structural arrangement is of significant interest to researchers studying the fundamental limits of chemical stability.
Due to its position above the thermodynamic hull, this compound is inherently unstable and prone to rapid decomposition. Despite this, it serves as a powerful reagent in specialized synthetic chemistry, where its ability to act as a highly effective oxygen-transfer agent is utilized in controlled laboratory settings.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for hypofluorous acid, aggregated across 3 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Applications
Where hypofluorous acid is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about hypofluorous acid, answered from cross-validated data.
What is HOF?
Hypofluorous acid is a highly unstable and reactive inorganic compound primarily utilized as a potent oxidizing agent in specialized chemical synthesis.
What is HOF used for?
What is the band gap of HOF?
Is HOF a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is HOF thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of HOF are known?
What elements does HOF contain?
Where does the data for HOF come from?
How It Compares
As a unique chemical entity, hypofluorous acid operates as a highly reactive outlier within the broader landscape of inorganic oxygen-fluorine compounds, often serving as a specialized tool where standard reagents lack the necessary oxidative potential.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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