Trifluoromethyl Hypobromite, CF(3)OBr.

The synthesis and isolation of the hypobromite CF(3)OBr is reported. CF(3)OBr is formed besides Me(4)N(+)BrF(2)(-) by the reaction of CF(3)OCl and Me(4)N(+)Br(3)(-) via an addition-elimination mechanism. The initially formed solid, [2CF(3)OBr.Me(4)N(+)BrF(2)(-)], was characterized by (13)C and (19)F NMR, Raman, IR, and mass spectra. The hypobromite was separated from the solid by high-vacuum condensation onto a cold surface and characterized by matrix isolation multichannel Raman spectroscopy. An ab initio calculation was performed, and a force field and the torsional barrier of CF(3)OBr were calculated. The calculation predicts an eclipsed conformation with a rotional barrier of 3.4 kcal/mol. The photolytic decomposition of CF(3)OBr in the solid state and in an argon matrix was investigated.