Structure and Properties of Fluoride-based Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Fluorine-containing materials offer many advantages over non-fluorine-based materials in a variety of applications.

Fluorine is a rather special element and fluorine-based materials often possess unique properties. The small size and high electronegativity of the fluorine atom, combined with the small dissociation energy of F₂ (155 kJ·mol^-1) are the fundamental characteristics of fluorine chemistry. Most elements react readily with fluorine, often resulting in their oxidation to the highest known oxidation states. Because of the monovalence of fluorine, fluorides at the high oxidation-state limit are often near or at the coordination limit for that element. Fluoride glasses and many other solid-state fluoride materials contain low oxidation state polymeric metal fluorides with metal centres linked through highly stable m-fluoro bridges. Many fluorine-containing materials owe their special properties to the high electronegativity of the fluoride ligand. An example are fluoride glasses with ligand-to-metal charge-transfer bands shifted well into the UV region, making the important materials for lasers, optical fibres, waveguides and optical amplifiers.

Because of the ability of fluorine to form strong and stable chemical bonds with many other elements, fluoride-based materials have found a wide usage in photonics, electronics, optoelectronics, energy storage, lithium and sodium batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, and membranes.

The importance of fluoride-based materials is well established and the number of applications for these materials continues to increase. This Special Issue is intended to provide an overview of the current activity in the field.

Prof. Dr. Ralf Haiges
Guest Editor

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