The room temperature oxidation of gold, ruthenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, or palladium with fluorine in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride

Metallic gold, ruthenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, or palladium dissolve in anhydrous liquid hydrogen fluoride (aHF) made basic with alkali fluoride, with elemental fluorine at room temperature, to provide solutions of salts of AuF4-, RuF62-, RuF6-, OsF6-, IrF6-, PtF62-, and PdF62-. The aHF solvent provides for the synthesis of all alkali salts including those of Li+, for which unit cells have been derived: LiAuF4, monoclinic, C2, a(o) = 9.687(2), b(o) = 12.656(2), c(o) = 10.025(2) Angstrom, beta = 92.84(1)degrees, z = 16; LiOsF6, rhombohedral, a(o) = 5.411(1) Angstrom, gamma = 56.31(1)degrees, V = 102.4 Angstrom(3), z = 1; Li(2)MF(6) (M = Ru, Pt, Pd) of tetragonal Li2TiF6 type (z = 2) with: M = Ru, a(o) = 4.657(1), c(o) = 9.096(3) Angstrom, V/z = 98.6 Angstrom(3); M = Pt, a(o) = 4.662(3), c(o) = 9.107(4) Angstrom, V/z = 99.0 Angstrom(3); M = Pd, a(o) = 4.632(8), c(o) = 9.022(8) Angstrom, V/z = 96.8 Angstrom(3). Pd with aHF and F-2, acidified with SbF5, gives green-blue solutions of Pd2+ (solv) from which turquoise Pd(SbF6)(2) is obtained. To aHF solutions of the latter, addition of Li2GeF6 gives blue PdGeF6 {a(o) = 5.44(1) Angstrom, gamma = 55.3(1)degrees}, and addition of alkali fluoride, a lilac precipitate of PdF2. Pd(SbF6)(2) and PdGeF6 are simple paramagnets.