Ozone is created when O2 is broken into radicals by high-energy light, the radicals that combine to create ozone, the ozone can then absorb UV light and break apart, converting the Absorbed UV light into kinetic energy. Could this cycle be replicated with fluorine gas, with fluorine creating F3- anions to absorb high-energy light?
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1$\begingroup$ What is going on with Fluorine? Lately there have been many questions about Fluorine based metabolism and replacing other Earth chemicals with Fluorine. From several different authors in fact. I don't think this is a coincidence. Does anyone know what has prompted several different people to be interested in the same chemical? $\endgroup$– DaronCommented May 29, 2022 at 13:38
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1$\begingroup$ I have been trying to make a detailed model for possible fluorine based life, starting with making cells that use it. Not sure about all the other people though. $\endgroup$– KaffeeByteCommented May 29, 2022 at 13:41
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$\begingroup$ What inspired you to start such a project about Fluorine rather than some other chemical? There are loads of other chemicals to choose from after all. $\endgroup$– DaronCommented May 29, 2022 at 13:42
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$\begingroup$ I think the reason I am allured to fluorine specifically is that it is so similar to oxygen. In fact, fluorine is kinda just oxygen that does everything much MUCH stronger. Of course, fluorine can only make one covalent bond instead of oxygen’s two. $\endgroup$– KaffeeByteCommented May 29, 2022 at 13:49
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$\begingroup$ Also, fluorine is so toxic to our biochemistry, completely inhospitable, water BURNS in fluorine, and have you ever seen a picture of a hand that has touched hydrogen fluoride? I think it would be cool for a form of life that inhabits these conditions. $\endgroup$– KaffeeByteCommented May 29, 2022 at 13:51
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1 Answer
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It's much easier to get a fluorine radical than an oxygen radical
A radical has an unpaired electron. Fluorine has 7 spare electrons and so when F2 breaks apart - which it will do to react with almost anything, or just be exposed to the right light source - it has a strong tendency to have one unpaired electron / create radicals (as do all the halogens). No F3- or anything needed. Oxygen fluoride species generate them too, that 7th electron is going to create radicals all the time.
Oxygen has 6 electrons and they tend to stay paired unless you have some funky oxygen species like ozone; it's not a radical itself but it's an electron pair short of being stable and so breaks apart in dramatic radical forming ways.
I don't have access to scholarly journals any more but anyone who does can google 'UV vis spectrum fluorine' and tell you what frequency / wavelength of light breaks fluorine apart.
See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_fluorination
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-radical_halogenation
Edit: Potentially patronising bit removed.
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1$\begingroup$ Well, since F2’s bond energy is 158 kJ mol, and even red light should have more energy, I could expect this “flozone” layer to absorb even visible light. $\endgroup$ Commented May 30, 2022 at 16:56
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$\begingroup$ Yep. Sorry to have 'taught you to suck eggs', i.e. try to teach you something you know (UV/VIS spectra) in my answer. I was only trying to be helpful! Your world is very cold, right? So shouldn't have much red/infrared. $\endgroup$– user86462Commented May 30, 2022 at 20:27
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1$\begingroup$ >"I was only trying to be helpful!" It is okay, in many of your answers to my previous questions, you have taught me something I didn't know. I am gonna need to work on how creatures could see on this planet though, without any visible light, and as you pointed out: little infrared, I may need to try something like microwaves, or something very different. $\endgroup$ Commented May 30, 2022 at 21:36
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$\begingroup$ Maybe their eyes are just really, really, really good. Or, as you say, they see low freq IR and microwaves. Maybe electric lighting is a BIG deal for them and was the equivalent of us discovering every invention from 1700 to 1950, and central to their culture. $\endgroup$– user86462Commented May 31, 2022 at 8:21