Dioxygen difluoride

Generally referred to as FOOF, dioxygen difluoride belongs to the oxygen fluorides, a highly dangerous class of oxidants. First synthesised in the 1930s, it didn’t find a use until the 1980s, when Larned B Asprey patented its use in recovering elements from nuclear fuel waste. This article provides a lighthearted introduction to the chemical, and can be used to show students that seemingly useless science can find purpose years later.