The goal of the research project is to explore new methods for the disposal and utilization of
sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). SF6 is a technically important industrial gas with extreme global
warming potential. After its use, it must therefore be decomposed to prevent it from entering
the atmosphere, which is a major challenge due to its extreme chemical inertness. Current
processes for decomposing SF6 consume a lot of energy and are technically complicated. The
research project is therefore concerned with the development of environmentally friendly and
easy-to-use methods for the decomposition of SF 6. The project focuses on innovative
approaches to activate SF6 under mild conditions, which is also relevant to the second focus
of the project, aimed at using SF6 as a reagent in fluorination reactions.
The proposed new methods for SF 6 decomposition could have both economic and
environmental implications, as they consume less energy than previous methods and could
even be used directly on-site in SF6 applications. In addition, the proposed methods for SF 6
valorization could open new avenues for the synthesis of fluorinated building blocks relevant
to the fields of medicine, agriculture, and materials science.