[5] Krypton difluoride can be synthesized using many different methods including electrical discharge, photoionization, hot wire, and proton bombardment.

The electrical discharge method involves having 1:1 to 2:1 mixtures of F2 to Kr at a pressure of 40 to 60 torr and then arcing large amounts of energy between it.

This is achieved by bombarding mixtures of Kr and F2 with a proton beam operating at an energy level of 10 MeV and at a temperature of about 133 K. It is a fast method of producing relatively large amounts of KrF2, but requires a source of high-energy protons, which usually would come from a cyclotron.

[9][10][11][3] The photochemical process for the production of KrF2 involves the use of UV light and can produce under ideal circumstances 1.22 g/h.

Using Pyrex glass or Vycor or quartz will significantly increase yield because they all block harder UV light.

In order to achieve optimal yields the gap between the wire and the solid krypton should be 1 cm, giving rise to a temperature gradient of about 900 °C/cm.

It has a redox potential of +3.5 V for the KrF2/Kr couple,[citation needed] making it the most powerful known oxidising agent.

For example, krypton difluoride can oxidise gold to its highest-known oxidation state, +5: KrF+AuF−6 decomposes at 60 °C into gold(V) fluoride and krypton and fluorine gases:[13] KrF2 can also directly oxidise xenon to xenon hexafluoride:[12] KrF2 is used to synthesize the highly reactive BrF+6 cation.

[15][16] Irradiation of a crystal of KrF2 at 77 K with γ-rays leads to the formation of the krypton monofluoride radical, KrF•, a violet-colored species that was identified by its ESR spectrum.