Fluorinated tetraphenylborate anion

The fluorinated tetraphenylborates are a group of related anions, chemical compounds with a negative electrical charge. They are weakly coordinating anions, meaning they are very resistant to most chemical reactions, and can be used to study very reactive cations (positive ions) that can't form solid salts with more reactive anions. Fluorinated tetraphenylborates were discovered by a team led by Japanese chemist Hiroshi Kobayashi in 1981.

Fluorinated tetraphenylborates are given the shorthand chemical formula [BArF4]−, and nicknamed "BARF". This is not a proper molecular formula: ArF just means "some aromatic group with some fluorines", without being more specific. Specific ions are also given shorthand names, usually including the number of fluorine atoms as a way to tell them apart.

Two important fluorinated tetraphenylborate anions are  (, systematic name tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate) and  (real formula , systematic name tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate).

 References 

Category:Organofluorides
Category:Organoboron compounds
Category:Anions