Reaction of fluorine gas with coal and the aromaticity of coal》.pdf

Reaction of fluorine gas with coal and the aromaticity of coal* John L. Hustont, Robert G. Scottt and Martin H. Studier+ fChemistry Division, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois 60626, USA khemistry Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA (Received 20 November 1975) Molecular fluorine has been used for the study of coal and a small number of model compounds. It is shown that direct estimates can be made of the carbon aromaticity and of the sensitive carbon in cyclic form. The value for a high-volatile Illinois bituminous coal agrees well with that commonly accepted on the aromatic/aliphatic structural hypothesis and suggeststhat the polyamantane model is unsatisfactory. The reagent also results in removal of nitrogen and sulphur from coal. The reaction of elemental fluorine with bitiminous coal at basis of structures of the coal macromolecule that contain ambient temperature can be controlled to cause expulsion aromatic units of varying degrees of condensation. Re- of hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur and nitrogen as simple gaseous cently, however, Chakrabartty and Berkowitz’ have sug- compounds leaving a solid fluorinated coal. From the gested that the properties of coal, e.g. its proportions of gravimetric stoichiometry of this rea